Huntik: Secrets and Seekers - The Spirit World
by omegafire17
Summary: Scanning files. Located. New tales of Huntik Team ready for your viewing pleasure.
1. Mysterious Message

**Disclaimer: Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, it's characters or the theme song. The new spells/Titans are purely made-up for this fanfiction. And for those Titans who didn't get a Holotome recording in the show proper, their stats presented here may be altered/made up in comparison to their pages on the Huntik Wiki (who have to use comic/TCG/toy stats because of this).**

 **Rating: T (has a few suggestive M hints)**

 **Go ahead and start reading already :P**

* * *

 _In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The world of Huntik changed radically with the arrival of the Blood Spirals, a group dedicated to eradicating all life on Earth with the return of the Nullifiers, particularly the Casterwill family. Many fierce battles were exchanged, and Sophie Casterwill, direct descendant of Lord Casterwill himself, rallied her remaining family and the Huntik Foundation for an offensive against the Blood Spiral leader, The Betrayer. After an intense battle, The Betrayer was defeated, and the return of the Nullifiers was thwarted. After their recovery, Dante accepted a place on the Huntik Council, with Lok taking his place as the leader of their finest team. But though the threat has been averted, their journey is not over.**

* * *

 _"Mysterious Message"_

 _Episode 53_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

Soft music filled the room, both of it's occupants enjoying the serene feel of the Pied Piper's notes.

Sophie had done this at least a dozen times by now, so she easily let her fingers glide across the instrument, playing the song purely from memory. This allowed her to enjoy it, the same as Cherit was doing on her lap. And even as she played it, images from the first time briefly came around in her head: an entire swarm of Gremlow Titan copies had been overrunning Lok and Guggenheim, but with a few notes, she'd stopped them cold. Then simply walking and playing, had them follow her in a neat little line, right back into it's amulet on the wall.

It had been a fun mission overall. Shame she couldn't practically use it on more missions though; it sounded wonderful.

She let the last few notes play for awhile, slowly ending the song... then she took in a breath, looking at the flute.

"That was beautiful, Sophie" Cherit said, getting up off her lap and now flying beside her.

"Thanks, Cherit" she agreed, standing up. "I may have been able to draw away the Gremlow Titan with this, but it plays so beautifully, I couldn't just use it once" she continued, slowly placing it in it's case, after cleaning the tip.

"I agree!"

She turned, looking around. "Hey Cherit, have you seen Lok?" she asked.

The winged Titan shook his head. "Nope, I haven't" he said, but then he flew over to the window, pointing as he spoke: "But if you want some help searching, Zhalia and Den are out there training."

She chuckled a little. "I don't think it's that serious yet, but thanks anyway" she said, walking off.

She searched the most likely locations for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Humming slightly, finger to her chin, she wondered where else or what else he could be doing. If he was consulting his newest Holotome, he could be anywhere, which was no help. If he had to leave for something, he would have said something to her at least, or even just left a note in plain sight, but there was nothing of that sort. A little more searching, and still nothing, but she happened to run into LeBlanche... luckily he made a spectacular save with his notes.

"Wow LeBlanche, that was amazing" she said, meaning it. "Sorry that I ran into you though."

"It's okay, Lady Sophie" he said easily. "It wasn't your fault."

"But by the way, have you seen Lok?" she asked, looking to her left and right once. "I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"Actually, I ran into him an hour-and-a-half ago, on this very spot" he said, smiling. "I asked where he was going, and he merely said to think. Then, not five minutes later, I saw him on the roof from the window."

"The roof?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Why on earth would he go up there alone?"

"Well, I would guess it was the least likely place to be disturbed" he answered, finishing reorganizing his notes. "As far as I know, he hasn't come down from there. But if you'll excuse me my lady, I must deliver these notes."

"Of course, LeBlanche" she said, watching him go. But to herself, she said, " _The roof?_ An hour-and-a-half, Lok? By yourself?"

This she had to see.

...

 _"Hyperstride!"_

The wind rushed through her hair and clothes as she shot upward, then she ended the spell just as she went over the roof, landing with a slight grunt. Looking around her, she didn't see Lok at first, but she had some ground to cover. So keeping a feel for her footing at all times, she moved across the uneven sections of her Townhouse's roof. "Lok?" she called out, both hands around her mouth to amplify it, but nothing answered.

Still, just being up here remained her of that other time, where they'd both lamented the coming end of summer break (after narrowing escaping Araknos at that).

"Where are you?" she wondered, moving across section even as she walked up one side... and the moment she looked down it's other side, stopped in her tracks: she'd found him, directly below her position.

Lok slowly leaned his head back, laying on his back on the slanted roof, smiling. "Hey, Sophie" he greeted.

From where she was standing, plus the angle, he was directly below her... if she were anyone else, she'd have been worried, embarrassed _and_ infuriated by the 'view' he'd be getting. But, she already knew that was fully taken care of for her, so she hardly noticed: "Lok, what are you doing up here?" she said, exasperated, hands on her hips.

He raised an eyebrow, but he chuckled. "What, a guy can't come up here and think?" he asked, holding his arms out briefly, still laying where he was.

"Well, of course you can" she answered, walking down to his right, slowly sitting down. "I just didn't think you were the type to think seriously. At least, not too often."

Lok chuckled again, recognizing the playful comment that it was. "Well, the things I've been thinking about?" he asked, looking back up at the sky. "They needed some serious thought."

She rested her hands on her knees, noting how his tone had trailed off slightly. "Care to share those thoughts, Lok?" she asked, then added another playful edge. "Or do you need more time to think?"

"Hardly" he countered mildly, smiling. "At first, I thought about how much our team has accomplished, all the battles we've fought, and the Titans we've befriended. I've said it before, but being a Seeker is truly awesome."

"The best, Lok" she answered evenly. On the inside however, she wanted to tell him to get on with it, for the real reasons that he'd come up here in the first place... but she knew that wasn't how it worked. In these types of situations, they started with light information you pretty much already knew, but it helped them warm up to the big stuff. She just wondered what was big enough to warrant this for him - had several ideas though.

"Though I gotta admit, Sophie" he said, hands underneath his head. "A lot of that enjoyment is because we got to go on missions together."

She was struck: that was almost exactly what she'd said months ago, during the battle with The Betrayer. Was he saying what she thought he was saying...? No, wait, she couldn't let herself assume anything; let him say it. Even as her thoughts went in that direction though, her mouth moved in a similar one. "Lok, that's so sweet" she stated softly, pretty sure she was starting to blush. "I have to say I'm flattered."

"But there's more to it" he breathed, jolting her, even as he closed his eyes. "Even as I thought about that, going over my memories, I saw something else that I never dwelt on before... the way we acted around each other."

"Come again?" she asked slowly.

"Come on, Sophie" he said mildly, glancing toward her. "We've been seen hugging, looking into each other's eyes for no reason, and even holding hands... granted, some of those moments were during missions. Relief and all that, over the fact that we were okay. But the rest? Don't you think there might be, well, something there?"

She found she was momentarily speechless, and her heart pounding: he _was_ talking about what she had assumed! But she was also slightly relieved by the subtle bits of effort in his voice, showing that he was affected underneath his (impressive) composure. "Well Lok, I'm surprised" she said, with a distinct playful tone. "I thought I'd have to explain it to you eventually, but I guess you've exceeded my expectations."

Judging from Lok's sheepish chuckle, he saw right through her comment, and she started giggling along with him.

"I don't know how or why we didn't do something sooner" he said softly. "I even said I wanted us to be together, for crying out loud!"

"Oh you did" she said playfully. "But really, how did we _ever_ get _that_ far with all the missions, the battles, the threats to society-"

Lok started laughing, sitting up. "Don't be over-dramatic, Sophie" he said playfully back, but looking at her. "Still, we both knew all this time, and yet, we could have been... well-"

"Then come here, Lok" she said gently, surprising him. "No more distractions."

He smiled, scooting closer after a moment, and he brushed her shoulder in the process. She glanced down at his hand - which was also scooting towards hers - and moved her fingers over his, both of them slowly interlocking even as she looked back up. Somehow managing not to look nervous (she could not understand that), Lok gently cupped her cheek with his free hand, and even that small touch made her heart race again, even as her free hand moved over his on her cheek. His smile made her do the same without thinking about it.

Then next she knew, they were leaning in.

It was just their first kiss, a simple one, and already she felt like gasping from the rush of pleasant feelings. It only lasted three seconds, then they both pulled away, staring at each other - both nervously laughing after a moment. But Sophie wanted more, so she leaned in again, much to Lok's muffled surprise. Still, he got into it as she moved herself closer, their passions slowly increasing.

Months of nearly-unspoken attraction to each other meant they were gonna be up here for awhile.

/

 _Around the same time_

 _"Touchram!"_

With that spell, Den deflected the blast from Gareon, but he still held himself at the ready.

"Not bad, Den" Zhalia said behind her Titan, merely observing. "You're getting better over there."

"Yeah, at single attacks" he said with satisfaction, lightly practicing his movements. "But I gotta go beyond that, and move up to multiple attacks. You never know what the Blood Spirals will try next, and I gotta be prepared."

"Well, you're pumped" Zhalia said with amusement, but she pulled out another amulet. "But you're on. _Come out, Gar-Ghoul_ " she called, and with a roar, the stone gargoyle Titan burst onto the scene.

Den tensed, ready to begin at a moment's notice. But despite knowing better, he had to work to overcome the sudden wave of light fear/nervousness radiating from the Titan. _"It's the Titan's ability, and not your fault"_ he thought forcefully.

"Alright Gar-Ghoul, Den wants practice dodging and blocking multiple attacks" Zhalia said behind them, but his gaze remained on the Titans. "So both of you, give him what he wants."

Gar-Ghoul growled slightly, then he blasted him with water... or he would have if Den didn't dodge, then quickly blocked Gareon's attack (" _Boltflare!"_ ), which came without verbal prompt. He quickly backed up to give himself room, but heavy breathing on the top of his head made him go "Crud", and barely avoided the claw swipe... but he laughed. _"Hyperstride!"_ he shouted, running from Gar-Ghoul, who roared at him.

Just as he laughed again that Gar-Ghoul couldn't get him, his foot apparently bumped into _something_ heavy, and the momentum sent him tumbling. He shook his head to clear it, then saw a shimmer where he'd tripped, which turned out to be an invisible Gareon.

"Clever" he said, quickly getting up, seeing both Gareon and Gar-Ghoul advancing on him from opposite directions. _"Camoforge!"_ he shouted, even as Gar-Ghoul raised a claw.

With a shimmer of energy, Den vanished, causing the stone Titan to miss then hesitate slightly. Both Titans immediately set out looking for him; Gar-Ghoul's footsteps making surprisingly little noise as he swept his head, scanning the area slowly; Gareon sniffed around, his red pupils in slits as the seconds slowly passed. From the sidelines, Zhalia and Cherit - who had just arrived - remained silent, but one corner of her lip rose. This stalemate lasted for at least ten more seconds, with a slight wind blowing.

Then the slightest _snap_ sounded, almost directly behind Gar-Ghoul.

With a stony hiss, the Titan whirled around, shooting high-pressure water at the spot. The water slammed against the ground, and Den reappeared with a shimmer, grunting as he backpedaled from the attack, which missed. Gar-Ghoul didn't let up, blasting him with high-pressure water again ( _"Armorbrand!"_ ), which let up after a few seconds.

Immediately after Armorbrand dropped though, Gareon shimmered into view directly behind Den.

Den was sent sprawling forward by the attack, and he shook his head, holding his head as he realized he was standing by one of Gar-Ghoul's feet. Luckily though, the Titan understood things were over for now, so he merely looked down at him impassively. As he got up, Cherit said something to Zhalia, but he only got 'he's really been improving'.

"How long was that Zhalia?" he asked, quickly getting to his feet.

"Well, let's see" Zhalia answered, arms crossed. "Do you want to count the time spent under Camoforge?"

He chuckled a bit. "Fine, just tell me both" he said.

"Well, with it, you lasted about thirty-seven seconds" she mused. "Without it, it goes down to merely twenty-six seconds."

He sighed, glancing down at his feet for a moment, then going over to lean against the wall. "Okay, so I didn't get to thirty secs like I wanted" he said, disgruntled.

Cherit hovered by Den's shoulder. "Come on, Den, you still did well."

Zhalia looked at him, having finished recalling her Titans back to her amulets. "I wouldn't worry about it, Den" she said lightly, walking towards him. "It's true, you've improved tremendously on your 'perfect' attempts, but it isn't game over if you screw up once in awhile."

"No, but if I do screw up, what will Lok think? Or Sophie? Or you?"

Zhalia leaned against the wall beside him. "Lok wouldn't think any less of you if you screwed up" she said mildly. "None of us would" she continued, then her lip curved upward. "Then again, if you screwed up on purpose, that'd be a different story."

"Hey, be serious!" he countered, to her chuckling. Still, he ended up laughing himself, and just in time for his stomach to rumble a little.

Zhalia retained the amused look. "Well, we have been training for awhile. Now's as good a time as any for a break."

"Eh, why not?" he said after a moment, turning to walk inside, Cherit following. "Besides, I could go for a few courses."

"It must be strange, always having to eat to replenish your energy" came from Cherit. "Even after all this time, I still don't completely get it."

"Maybe you won't have to, Cherit" he said, his volume decreasing as he went further inside. "To you, it's just one of our many quirks. So relax-"

/

 _Half-an-hour later_

Sophie finally managed to get enough, and with a breathy gasp (mirrored by Lok), she broke them apart.

In-between his breaths, Lok managed to say "Wow", chuckling.

She also giggled. "Cliche, but accurate" she breathed, holding Lok close.

He held her back, but when she looked up, his gaze was on the sky. "I'm glad I stayed up here this long" he said mildly, looking back at her, their faces inches apart again. "Being up here alone made it easier, but my heart still pounded like you wouldn't believe."

 _"I think I could"_ she thought, but she smiled anyway. "Tell me, Lok" she stated softly, looking at their joined hands. "You thinking back on our past adventures, and the hints we've shown each other; was that all you seriously thought about?"

He suddenly got more nervous, but it mostly showed in his bearing. "No, but the rest is a lot more... embarrassing" he finished, a little shy.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine" she said a little playfully, crossing her arms.

"I'm serious, Sophie" he said with the same tone, startling her slightly. "And quite a bit of it involves the now-official 'us'."

After he said that, they entered a small silence, during which time they simply looked at each other. Sophie tried to think about could be connected between 'them' and embarrassing, but so far she came up with noth- wait a minute, was he- was he really talking about she thought he meant? He really thought that far ahead!?

Wait, were they even on the same page?

"Lok" she breathed, a bit more shy than she'd planned on; her cheeks were probably burning for all she knew. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Lok's cheeks turned a little red too, but he nodded. "Yeah, Sophie" he said faintly, glancing down for a moment. "I knew that if we got together - and we did - eventually we'd have to start thinking about, well, more intimate matters. Though, there's still a _lot_ of time before that happens, obviously."

If her cheeks weren't red, she'd be deeply surprised. But she didn't want him to stop talking; it was strangely thrilling.

"And maybe one day, far into the future" he continued, his voice shyer than she'd ever heard it. "You and I could, uh... maybe, well... b-be a- w-well I mean-"

Despite his stuttering, that one sentence sent a rush through her spine _far_ more than the kiss had, and it showed in her gasp. She couldn't believe it; he actually did think that far ahead, and more impressively, had the courage to speak to her about it! She could only stare at him, her heart pounding.

Lok made a sound as he looked down, his entire demeanor barely-restrained shyness now. "Okay" he said weakly. "Maybe that's a little too much."

She slowly leaned forward, kissing his cheek.

He made a sound in surprise, looking up quickly, cheeks still red. "Sophie?"

She hummed slightly, still flustered. "You know, most guys can't really think that far ahead, or even acknowledge the fact" she breathed, her tone a combination of playful and soft, even as she scooted closer. "But you, Lok, just did exceptionally well in that area."

"I-" he started to say, then blinked as he got over his surprise. "I did?"

She nodded, then gently leaned in, half-closing her eyes. She kinda saw Lok doing the same, and both enjoyed their small kiss, at least before she pulled away. "And that was for having the courage to actually talk about what most guys wouldn't dare talk about."

He slowly chuckled. "That was a mouthful, but thank you" he whispered softly, putting his arm around her.

"I agree" she answered simply, looking at his arm around her, then she leaned against him slowly. "But if you'd said that to me in a normal relationship, without months of knowing each other, my reaction would have been _very_ different."

Lok made a sheepish sound, still shyly embarrassed.

Then she slowly looked up at him, cheeks reddening slightly. "What you said though" she started faintly, "it makes my heart race. It also makes me feel uncertain, knowing that it might happen, though it's still far away."

He said nothing, merely listened, fingers slowly moving through her hair. Something she was definitely enjoying, even if it was simple.

"But still, despite all that" she whispered, smiling a bit. "I'm not adverse to the idea of it happening, not at all."

He slowly smiled back. "I'm glad to hear that" he whispered back, relieved. "I mean, I don't know exactly how thing's might start, or when, but I know it won't be tomorrow at least."

"You got that right!" she exclaimed, giving him a playful shove, to both their laughter. "But" she stated softly after this, taking his hands again as she stood up, Lok quickly following. "If one day the uh, 'right mood' strikes and we're both okay with it, why should we resist? As long as we both agree not to do too much at once, for any and _all_ sessions."

"Well, of course" he answered quickly, still holding her hands. "One question though" he continued, looking slightly confused. "When will we discuss what's acceptable and what isn't? Will it be immediately before, or a day before instead?"

She let go of his hands, crossing her arms with an arched eyebrow. "I'd prefer it be _at least_ several days before we begin" she started, then she glanced down. "Still, if the mood strikes us and we haven't done so... immediately before will have to suffice." She looked back at him, then smirked, "Either way, nothing can start until we've both agreed, no matter what."

He chuckled, briefly rubbing the back of his head. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me" he said with a smile.

/

"You sure that's merely lunch? Looks a little light for you."

Den turned around with an annoyed expression, a piece of leftover toast hanging from his mouth, his hands currently full. Very carefully putting the toast in his grip, and barely managing it, he looked at her. "Okay, now you're just exaggerating" he said. "I may eat a bit more than anyone else on this team, but that doesn't mean I eat everything in sight."

"I was kidding, Den" Zhalia said mildly, turning back to what she was doing, which was also getting lunch.

Den was halfway through retorting, but he heard Lok and Sophie's conversation, which also drew her's and Cherit's attention:

 _"I still can't believe you tripped over that rock. You lost the race without all that momentum."_

 _"Well, these things happen, Sophie. Sure, I would have won if I hadn't tripped, but I did, so you won."_

They walked in the kitchen door, Sophie looking at Lok. "I still think we should race again later, make it fair" she said mildly.

"Well well, look at what we have here" she said in amusement, glancing down briefly. "Anything you two want to say?"

Lok and Sophie jolted slightly, then looked at their joined hands, which had been that way for awhile. "There's not much to say, Zhalia" Sophie said mildly, while Lok continued after her, "We've liked each other for awhile, so it was bound to happen eventually."

"Hey, congrats man!" came from Den, who 'congratulated' Lok by putting an arm around his head, and both of them laughing the whole time.

Sophie giggled a bit, her arms crossed as she watched, with a playful expression that said a single word: Boys. Cherit secretly took this opportunity to inspect Den's currently-abandoned toast for a close look.

 _"I'm happy for them"_ Zhalia thought wryly, watching this display for a few seconds herself, then slowly looking away. Even as she looked at the wall, Sophie broke up the two, saying to let Lok breathe. _"Still, it must be nice; they can simply talk about it, and it happens. For me, it's not that easy"_ she continued, her expression falling slightly.

"Dante... I wish you were here now" she whispered faintly. She jolted slightly in surprise, quickly looking back, and was relieved to see that neither Lok, Sophie, Den nor Cherit had heard her.

She breathed a small chuckle, glancing down for a moment- that had been close.

* * *

 _Huntik Foundation Council_

 _Manhattan, New York_

Dante held up the amulets of Redcap and Strix, humming slightly with a small smile, before putting them back down on the table, beside his own Springer amulet. "Perhaps it's time I find you new owners" he said softly. "You probably wouldn't be too hard" he continued, referring to Springer's amulet, then his fingers moved on. "But you two will be a little harder. Not many would be eager to have Organization Titans, but I'll find someone for all of you."

After that, he drew back, then chuckled a little. Many would see talking to yourself or inanimate objects as a sign that you were crazy, but anyone who was acquainted with him knew better.

"Now, to get on with today's report" he said, sitting down at the table and opening up his Holotome. "Let's see here" he continued easily, humming a bit. "Various sightings of Blood Spirals by the Organization; gotta send out a few scouts for that. As to where they might strike next-"

He stopped, because his Holotome started going crazy: the holographic report flickered and fizzled out like static, and a warning light lit up. _"Incoming video message. Unable to override signal."_

"Analyze signal and source" he said immediately. "And record entire video message."

 _"Analyzing"_ the Holotime said, even as the conflicting commands fought to get a clear image. _"Unable to identify source. Source is not using conventional methods of transmission."_

"You're still recording though, right?" he asked mildly.

 _"Yes"_ it answered.

Then the image started clearing up, and he leaned forward, trying to make sense of it. At first, all he could see was a swirling blur, but there did seem to be individual points with blackness blotting out the rest... space maybe? Then the image sharpened for a moment, and he could make out a red glow in the picture, bigger and brighter than everything near it. A closeup of a red star?

His eyebrows slowly furrowed together. Stars didn't leave streaking trails through space...

"The Red Comet?" he breathed, standing. "I should have known it wasn't that easy to get rid of you..."

The image flickered with static again, and he couldn't make out much more; whoever was sending this either had a really bad Holotome, or something was interfering with the transmission. Still, he stuck around, doing his best to make out details from the garbled video.

He gasped slightly when it sharpened again: two people had been shown, in rapid succession. The image lost it's sharpness on the second person, so he couldn't make out any details, save the fact that he/she was big. But the first-

"Eathon" Dante breathed.

Shortly afterward, the Holotome's message stopped entirely, and went back to normal. _"Message recorded."_

He didn't answer that, just considered what he'd seen... then he picked up the phone.

"Metz, it's me" he said faintly. "Gather the Huntik Council; there's something you all gotta see, immediately."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **One reviewer said I should do a Huntik book series ;) Well, it took _quite_ awhile, but here is my version of one, so things definitely aren't done for our Huntik team ;) They'll have much to explore... and much to fight for as well. But adventure, exploration and battle are not all they'll go through: there's a fair bit of romance as well.**

 **Just a few notes:**

 *** As stated, this series will include a few fairly suggestive M-rated moments, but they won't be anything truly explicit.  
* This fanfiction is entirely separate from the other three I've written for this series.  
* Chapter updates will be on Wednesdays (like today) and Saturdays.  
* This fanfic is published on my birthday, for real (just try not to let that be the only part of your reviews)**

 **Anyway, this isn't much plot-wise, but it starts things off :) Still, enjoy, and stay tuned!**


	2. Influence

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Their feelings growing steadily throughout their missions, Lok and Sophie have always felt close to each other, but have never entered an official relationship until now. Zhalia and Den have also been keeping up with training, and soon witness the relationship upgrade of their two other teammates. In New York however, Dante Vale intercepts a blurry message from an unknown source, briefly showcasing the form of Eathon Lambert, Lok's father, alongside the Red Comet. With this, events have been set in motion that may change the status quo considerably.**

* * *

 _"Influence"_

 _Episode 54_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

"You know, I don't think I'll ever understand how boys feel they need to put each other in a headlock to congratulate them."

Lok chuckled, sitting down in a chair with his lunch, even as Sophie did the same on the nearby couch, almost right next to him. "Well, it is kinda silly" he admitted. "But it's mostly an instinctive thing, where we're trying to act tough all the time."

"Oh, so that's what you try to do" she said playfully. " _Act_ tough" she added, then bit into her lunch.

He chuckled, eating as well. "Yeah, it often has mixed results" he said, still munching, but keeping the food to the sides of his mouth. "But it happens."

She gave him the slightest look (probably for food in his mouth while talking), but otherwise ate like normal. "Good thing you don't need to act tough for me, Lok" she said, looking at him. "I already think you're amazing."

He was touched, smiling. "I think you are too, Sophie" he replied. "And I've thought so for much longer, having had a crush on you years before I became a Seeker."

She giggled slightly, eating a few more bites before she replied, "I'm just sorry we didn't become friends sooner". She then gained a playful smirk, "But I guess seeing you asleep a number of times in class made me get the wrong assumption, like that you were a deadbeat or something."

He chuckled, rubbing his hair a little. "Well, you got me there."

To his surprise, immediately after he finished, she took his other hand in hers. "Yes I do" she replied simply.

He smiled, looking at their joined hands, which were softly rubbing against each other by instinct. For awhile, they looked at each other/their joined hands, simply enjoying the feelings as their fingers interlocked. Sure it sounded pretty boring, but in practice, felt really good as you might expect... and they didn't try to keep track of how long they did this. Nor did they notice the screen light up with an incoming message-

 _"Oh dear"_ a voice said, startling the two teens. _"I seem to have interrupted a lunch date."_

"Dante!" they both cried out in surprise when they saw who it was.

Dante's video image merely smiled, with some amusement.

"I- It's great to see you again, Dante, but you could have chosen better timing" Sophie said, slightly embarrassed.

Lok noted this, but agreed inside. "Dante, do you have a mission for us?" he asked, knowing it could be serious.

 _"That remains to be seen"_ Dante said carefully. _"But new information has come to light, and while the Council's in recess right now, they have agreed that your team should see this."_

"In that case, Sophie-" he said quickly, turning to her. "Can you find Cherit, Den and Zhalia?"

She nodded, and soon ran out of the room, leaving Dante to study him with a knowing smile. _"So, you finally got clued in?"_

He chuckled; Dante hadn't changed at all. "Well, I think we've both known for awhile; we just never talked about it" he said, smiling. "Until yesterday."

 _"Really? Yesterday?"_ Dante asked mildly. _"And yet, from the brief glimpse I saw, you were both acting like you've been a couple for weeks."_

He was a little embarrassed by that, but glad as well. "I guess that's what happens, Dante" he said, shrugging his hands a bit. "You know, when two friends know they like each other, and act like it but never talked about it... so I guess while we're officially new, we're already been 'together' for awhile."

 _"And I'm happy for you"_ Dante said in an approving tone. _"Sophie's a good woman. I'd say treat her well, but it's unnecessary."_

Lok laughed, grinning. "Completely" he said, then directly after that, Sophie came back with Cherit, Den and Zhalia.

Zhalia did a little double-take upon seeing him. "Dante!" she breathed, quickly realized what she just said, and tried to play it off. "Hey."

Dante merely smiled: _"Zhalia, Den"_ he answered simply, apparently recognizing this. _"And Cherit, you're looking well."_

"Thank you, Dante" Cherit said graciously. "I did just finish grooming myself."

"Cherit's grooming aside, what is it, Dante?" Den asked, standing by Lok's right side. "Another mission for us?"

"I asked him that earlier" Lok answered to him, Sophie standing by his left side, and Zhalia on Sophie's left (Cherit flying where he chose). "We're about to get our answer, right Dante?"

 _"Correct"_ he said. _"Today, I was in the middle of organizing the Huntik Foundation's resources in response to sightings of the Blood Spirals. The usual stuff, but my Holotome was overridden by an incoming video message, and I was unable to identify who, how or why."_

"What about the message itself?" Sophie asked. "What did you see?"

 _"Not much"_ he answered, quieter for a moment. _"It was badly garbled for unknown reasons. But what I did see warrants concern"_ he continued, then he reached for something just off-screen, and they heard a few clicks as he worked. _"I'm switching screens, so you'll see what I saw."_

And within seconds, the video imposed itself over Dante's image... and he hadn't been kidding: there was static _everywhere_ , and very little was able to be gleaned.

"That looks like space" Den said slowly. "Which means that big red dot is a star?"

"I don't think so" Zhalia said suspiciously. "Stars don't leave streaking trails. They don't move fast enough to do so."

"Yeah, only comets can do that" Sophie added, then she gasped. "Wait! That means-!"

"The Red Comet" Lok and Cherit said in unison; the only difference had been tone of voice.

Onscreen, the paused video compressed itself to fit onto the entire left half of the screen, while Dante's image filled up the right. _"That was my thinking as well"_ he said seriously. _"Somehow, I didn't think it was that easy to get rid of."_

"Which means, the Blood Spirals can still get the power they seek" Den said tightly, his fists starting to clench.

 _"They can"_ Dante said, nodding. _"Though as far as we can tell, only in the long term for now. The Red Comet is on it's way, but it won't be here for many years."_

The others were slightly struck by this, but Zhalia caught on immediately: "So it isn't the immediate threat" she said quickly, arms crossed. "There's more."

He chuckled. _"Very good"_ he said, then his image disappeared off the screen (allowing the paused video to decompress back to full-size), but Dante's voice still talked: _"Most of the video had little we could make out. But the ending should be of particular interest, especially to you Lok."_

Lok took a step forward, staring at the screen intensely. At first he saw nothing through all the static, but he didn't doubt what Dante said- wait, it started to sharpen. Then a person came into view, the image gaining full clarity for an instant ("Dad!"), followed quickly by another bigger person, though obscured by static. The video paused itself again, and rewound just to the image of the second person, while Dante spoke from off-screen. _"Yes Lok, that is definitely Eathon. The second person however, warrants a different kind of concern."_

"But it's impossible to make out any kind of details, Dante" Sophie said at the same time, touching the tips of her fingers to Lok's, to show her support. He showed he understood with a glance, but otherwise kept his attention on the video.

 _"Normally, yes"_ Dante said. _"However, when using the latest imaging technology, enhancements, etcetera etcetera (the video changed in direct response to his words), you should recognize him."_

Lok, Sophie and Zhalia tensed in response, while Cherit went "Oh dear". Den however, tilted his head and noticed his teammate's looks. "Uh, guys?" he asked, startling them slightly, "Should I know who that is?"

Lok made a resigned sound, turning toward Den. "Well Den, that's uh, Simon Judeau, former leader of the Organization and the biggest threat before the Blood Spirals came around."

"He goes by The Professor though" Cherit added, now in Den's vision. "And he was a friend of Lok's dad, Eathon, as well as Metz."

Den looked surprised. "Wait, that's the same Simon you talked about, back in the castle?" he asked, to which Lok nodded. "He used to be a good person?" he continued in disbelief, looking around everyone like it might be a joke.

"Used to be, a long time ago" Sophie answered evenly. "Obviously he changed. He was cursed by the Legendary Titan's power, which also changed his appearance."

"Frankly, I'm surprised he's still alive" Zhalia said in a hard tone. "He's far out of reach of the Amulet of Will."

Immediately after she said that, the video disappeared entirely. _"Unless he's worked out another deal with Araknos"_ Dante said seriously. _"He did it once, and he could certainly do it again."_

"Well, where are they Dante!?" he asked, taking steps forward in his haste. "I know the Professor was sucked into Huntik with the Legendary Titans, and that my dad is there, but what if they escaped?"

 _"Unfortunately Lok, we don't know yet"_ Dante said reluctantly. _"But you have my word that we're doing everything we can to find them. If they are still in_ _Huntik though, there's a major problem: we have no way to track them from here. Plus, the only currently known Nexus was destroyed."_

He looked between his teammates, then back at Dante. "All right then, Dante" Lok started. "We'll do this together. You try and get the Huntik Council to search for more potential Nexus locations, while we seek them out and confirm/deny if they're true, then go from there. And as a backup plan, work on some new spells, both to track my dad and The Professor, and make our own portal to Huntik, if needed."

Dante raised an eyebrow, while the others stared at him in surprise, especially Cherit. _"Make our own portal to Huntik"_ Dante repeated, then he chuckled. _"I like your thinking, Lok."_

He smiled, a little sheepish. "I know it's not an official mission, not yet-" he started to say.

Dante gave him an understanding nod. _"But I'll push for it to become one, Lok"_ he answered, then looked at all of them. _"If either of us get more information, get in contact immediately"_ he announced, to which they all nodded. Then just like that, his image vanished from the screen. Lok slowly looked around himself, only to find everyone staring at him.

"Our own portal?" Zhalia mused. "That's highly ambitious of you, Lok; I'm impressed."

"Is that even possible though?" Cherit asked, both worried and hopeful.

"I don't know – Huntik is another dimension entirely; the energy drain alone would be enormous" Sophie breathed, thinking. "And thus far, the only being that's really accomplished it was Overlos-"

"Who's no longer here, I take it" Den said, Sophie nodding vaguely.

"Well, don't worry, buddy" Lok assured to Cherit. "If there's a way, Dante and the Huntik Council will find it."

"I sure hope you're right!"

* * *

 _Hours later_

Zhalia walked through the halls of Sophie's mansion, back from scouting. She intended to talk to Lok about what she'd seen, when she approached the briefing room.

"-Come on, Harrison" she heard, making her stop in her tracks. "You know you'll do fine."

 _"Well, well, well"_ she thought lightly, then stealthily walked closer to the door, peering inside a little.

Den was standing in the briefing room, looking at the viewing screen with Cherit on his shoulder, talking to his brother on there. The kid had done well outside that orphanage and the Blood Spirals: he was no longer quite so pale, and some of the gaunt look had softened. Plus like his brother, he couldn't quite get enough of food sometimes... that orphanage must have been severely underfeeding. Zhalia's lip curved on one side as she observed this.

 _"You really think so?"_ Harrison asked.

"Of course I do" he said enthusiastically. "You'll do great on your new team, and I'm not just saying that because I'm your brother."

They shared a laugh on that. _"Still, I'm a bit worried"_ Harrison continued. _"Since my time with the Blood Spirals, I haven't used some of their specific spells... but what if I use them again, even if to save someone? How will the team react?"_

"Probably with shock" Den breathed, then tilted his head. "In either case, you should probably tell them that you know those spells _before_ anything happens, and make sure they're okay."

"And they should be fine" Cherit added, Den glancing at him. "Those spells may have terrible origins, but if you use them for good, how bad can they be?"

Den nodded vigorously. "Yeah, they should be cool with the team" he reassured. "Whether you use them only occasionally or all the time."

 _"Yeah"_ Harrison breathed slowly. _"Yeah, that could work. Thanks, Den, Cherit."_

"Anytime" he replied lightly, Cherit flying up with his vocal thanks, Den holding up his fist near the screen.

Harrison chuckled, then slowly air-fistbumped him back, said _'Bye, bro'_ , then his screen turned off. After that, Den slowly turned around, only to be startled by the fact that Zhalia was leaning against the wall by the door. "Hey, what are you spying on me?"

"Nah" she breathed, standing up. "I simply came here trying to find Lok, to report back from scouting, and happened to find this room was being used. And since you two were having a brotherly conversation, I thought it best not to interrupt."

"What am I, cut liver?" Cherit asked, flying beside her.

Den slowly breathed out. "It's 'chopped liver', Cherit" he said mildly, then looked at Zhalia. "You still stayed and watched."

"I did" she replied simply. "Is there a problem?"

Den opened his mouth, then chuckled as he realized what she was doing. "If you were a complete stranger, probably" he said, walking past her somewhat. "And also, you were looking for Lok?"

"Yeah."

/

In the mansion's library, Lok sat in an armchair, pouring over everything he could find in his father's notes. Behind him and to his right, Sophie searched through the book titles for any potential hints.

He grunted, briefly clutching his head with one hand. "Nothing!" he breathed. "Come on, Dad. I know there must be _something_ here that you left for me."

"It's only been a few hours, Lok" Sophie said. "We've still got plenty to search through."

"I know, but my dad's out there" he replied, quickly scrolling through his Holotome. "He could be in trouble, and here I am unable to help, feeling useless!"

Sophie slowly looked at him, her gaze faintly sad as she closed the book, putting it back. She approached the side of the chair, where she stood looking down at him slightly.

Lok slowly sighed, passing a hand over his forehead. "I'm sorry" he breathed faintly. "I went a little overboard there."

"You're worried about your father, Lok" Sophie said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Anyone could go overboard in this situation."

He nodded slowly, then looked up at her. "I mean, I've known he was alive for awhile" he started. "True he was in another dimension, but he was alive and not in danger. Now though, after all this time, I see him again being hunted by The Professor, and I'm unable to go help him, or even talk to him. It's like being offered a hand from a ghost, but the moment my fingers twitch, he disappears."

Sophie's look softened, and her hand moved off his shoulder. "I understand, Lok" she whispered simply, her fingers now brushing over his cheek.

He smiled, touching his hand over hers. "Thanks, Sophie" he breathed back, then after she removed her fingers, he brought up his father's notebook again. "Now, what else can I look through?"

"Do you have time for a scouting report?"

Lok looked up in surprise, seeing Zhalia walk in, along with Den and Cherit (well, he flew). "Zhalia?" he said, then he blinked. "Wait, did you see-?" he started to ask, only for her to nod. "Come on, Zhalia, were you spying on us!?" he finished in exasperation.

"It wasn't my intention" she said mildly, especially in response to Sophie's annoyed expression. "But apparently today, it has a habit of happening accidently when I walk in on people."

Lok sighed a bit, then shook his head. "Okay then" he replied, gesturing toward the couch facing his chair. "Let's just hear that report."

"That's the spirit" Den added, moving to a seat near Zhalia.

"Right" Zhalia started, already seated. "So far as as I've been able to determine, the Blood Spirals still don't have a plan, per se, nor have I seen any sign of their elite. For now, all we've seen are sporadic, random attacks."

"Considering the fact that we beat The Betrayer, I'm surprised they're still above-ground at all" Den said, lightly flexing his fingers. "The Red Comet may be intact, but they have no real power anymore, thanks to it being more than a gajillion miles away in space."

"True, at least in the short term" Sophie mused. "But we mustn't let our guard down."

"What else?" Lok asked, looking at Zhalia.

"There are multiple signs of the Organization gathering many of it's members in groups, here in this city at least" she continued, leaning forward. "For what purpose, I don't know."

"The Organization?" Lok asked, looking up at Sophie. "But why? Grier is in charge now, and while we're not exactly best friends, they're not our enemies anymore. What are they planning?"

"I don't think this is Grier's work, guys" Zhalia said quietly, grim.

 _"Oh great"_ he thought, but ignored it somewhat, quickly asking: "What did you see, Zhalia?"

"The Organization suits that are gathering, they all seemed mildly detached, almost like robots" she said faintly, glancing at Den. "They would mutter things to themselves, sometimes in whispers and sometimes out loud."

"They're being controlled" Den said in a hard tone, then quickly looked at him. "Or at least, it's a possibility, Lok."

"A very good one" Cherit added. "I can't place the feeling, but I think I've seen this somewhere before."

Lok nodded, "And?" he prodded.

"They all mentioned that 'He' would take Grier's place, and that man would lie dead for all to see" Zhalia finished. "That's all they would say."

"'He'" Sophie breathed, hand near her chin. "Overthrowing Grier, for control of the Organization-"

Then both she and Lok said it aloud, at the same time, with half-a-sec between the actual words: "The Professor!". Then they both looked at each other, startled by this, then both just chuckled a little. Funny how these things tend to happen in serious moments... then after the moment passed, he looked back at Zhalia. "You're sure that's all?" Lok asked, to which she nodded.

"So is there a plan?" Den asked. "Shouldn't we at at least tell Dante about this?"

Lok smiled. "If I know Dante, he's getting multiple reports about this as we speak" he said mildly. "No need to tell him what he already knows, not yet. And as far as a plan, Den, other than our suspicions, we can't confirm who or what is _possibly_ controlling those Organization suits. And without proof, all we can do is watch, wait, see what the next move is."

"Very good, Lok" Sophie said in an approving tone. "You're certainly no Dante, but you're a great leader."

"Hey" he protested, mildly insulted despite knowing it was a playful teasing compliment. Of course, all four of them chuckled at his expense, so he sheepishly gave up after a moment and started laughing with them.

* * *

Hours later, he walked with Sophie down a hallway, with it starting to get dark outside. Their hands weren't joined together, but with how often their fingers kept brushing together, they might as well have been. And in the same vein, he couldn't help glancing at Sophie a lot... sure he knew by heart what she looked like, but the new appreciation for her looks hadn't lost it's charm yet.

"You know, Lok" Sophie stated softly, drawing him out of it. "All playful teasing aside, I really did mean it, you being a great leader."

He chuckled a little, stopping and facing her. "I kinda figured, but the tease got me laughed at" he said, both soft and rueful.

"All in good fun" she said simply, looking at him.

After that, their hands finally joined together, even as they stepped closer. Just as quickly, they held each other in a hug, and for quite awhile. Lok randomly thought this would probably make a perfect moonlight moment, but it wasn't even fully dark yet, so no go on that part.

"Lok?" she breathed, soft yet a little shy.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been thinking about" she started. "It occurred to me while we were discussing how much we'd do at once, regarding intimate matters."

He pulled them apart, just enough for them to look at each other. "What's that?" he asked softly, despite the fact his heart beat faster.

She glanced down. "An offer" she whispered, with some hints of shy. "If you'd like, you and I could, well uh... sleep in the same room together."

Lok tried to reply, he really did; but his throat wouldn't let him.

Apparently Sophie anticipated this, because her reaction was to giggle a little. "I don't mean in the same bed, silly" she said mildly, despite her own shyness. "That's _years_ away. I simply meant the two of us, sleeping together, in the same room, with standard space rules. That's _all_ there is to it."

Somehow, this broke him out of his paralysis: "I assume you uh, also don't mean me sleeping on the floor?" he said faintly, despite his beating heart.

"Of course not!" she breathed, trying to hold back the laughter, and only partly succeeding. "That'd be barbaric!"

Seconds afterward, despite everything, soon he was laughing along with her; it really helped break him out of it. Then of course, after they stopped, just looked at each other for a moment - he gently took her hand, which she liked.

"So what is it then?" he asked gently. "Another bed? Or even a couch?"

"Something like that" she answered, soft in volume. "I wanted to offer it first, before I actually have it happen. And if you accept, I can have one brought in soon, allowing you to sleep with me then."

"Well, at least I got some warning" he said, rubbing his head for a moment, then he smiled. "But I think I already know what my answer is."

"Perhaps you can show me?" she invited very softly, a little closer.

He leaned in easily, giving her a soft, loving kiss. Then after they pulled away five seconds later, they started walking together again. "There's one thing I'm wondering though."

"And what's that?"

"Isn't this a little, uh, early?" he asked, hesitant, before tilting his head. "And unlike you?"

Sophie glanced down, but still smiled. "Maybe a little, but I also think it'll be okay" she started, looking up at him as they stopped, again. "We both agreed we'd go in small steps, Lok. And considering your plan for us 'far' in the future (he sheepishly rubbed his head), we gotta start somewhere, right?"

" _My_ plan?" he asked with a raised eyebrow - but despite that tease, it was a serious question.

She smirked a little. " _Our_ plan, at least in the future, when we're both prepared" she amended. "Still, I think this small step should do it, for a _long_ while, at least at this level."

"This level" he said slowly, then he briefly grinned. "Multiple levels to keep track of - sorta like a puzzle."

"Exactly" she said approvingly. "Besides, as long as we're careful, I don't think it's anywhere near scandalous. I think LeBlanche will come around to the idea."

"I sure hope so..."

* * *

 _Around the same time_

Organization suits were gathering on the rooftops, under the cover of night. Dozens of them could be seen if you looked carefully, maybe even a few hundred.

"This the spot?" one man asked, black sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Yeah" the blond woman answered, as if not interested in the question, or her own reply.

Silent from then on, they joined their companions on the roof, standing in neat rows and columns. They were all completely silent, breathing but otherwise could have looked like statues, unless you looked closely. Before too long, five of the nearby rooftops were occupied by these groups of Organization suits, who appeared to simply be waiting for something. The wind blew slightly as the minutes wore on.

Then a sickly-green glow appeared out of nowhere, directly at the feet of each Organization group, none of whom reacted at all.

The glow intensified, then circular runes inscribed themselves at the feet of each group, five in total.

Green magic swirls wrapped around each person, obscuring them from view, if you could actually see through the bright light... then just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.

And so were all of them.

* * *

 _Unknown location_

Wind blew over the desolate landscape, which was currently empty of all life, at least above the surface.

Underground though, connected to a series of dug-out caverns was a throne room. Unlike the previous version, this one was less overtly creepy, and instead more cruel-looking. Two large banners with the Blood Spiral mark hung from the ceiling, nailed directly to stalactites on opposite sides. In the center was a large uneven plateau of rock, where the Betrayer's original throne sat, in front of a mysterious pool of water. Shauna fearlessly lounged on the throne, even as Wind stood beside her, arms crossed and silent as ever.

A lone Blood Spiral soldier knelt in front of her.

"Bring me the prisoner" Shauna said dismissively.

"Which one?" he asked after a moment.

"The hot-headed one" she snapped dangerously, which made him quickly stand at attention.

After he left, Wind glanced at her.

Shauna scoffed, "What a fool he was" she said scathingly. "My traitorous brother personally dealt with him, merely because he failed once. He will be of use again, and if he fails, I will deal with him myself. And unlike that traitor, I will be _far more_ permanent."

Moments after she finished, the Blood Spiral soldier returned. He was flanked by two others, who were dragging a former superior with them, a dark purple aura surrounding him. The man in question was bald, but completely still, almost like he was a statue. With grunts, the two other soldiers dragged him to the foot of the rock plateau, then backed away a fair distance.

"We've brought him, sir" the first Silent Soldier said.

Shauna got up at that point. "Very good" she said, then aimed straight at the man. _"Shadowlock!"_

The same dark purple aura that surrounded the man shot from her fingers, then attached straight to him (the other soldiers hastily stepped back). Instead of reinforcing the original though, the aura fluctuated wildly, then Shauna savagely yanked her arm back. With this motion, the Shadowlock was ripped apart, leaving the target staggered from the sudden return of body functions. He fell to one knee before he recovered enough to be aware of his surroundings, much less anything else.

"Kiel" Shauna said, dispassionate. "Be grateful you're back at all."

Kiel grunted, shaking his head and quickly becoming aware of his surroundings. "Where's Rassimov?" he demanded, then pounded his fists. "I'd like some words with him-"

"He's dead."

This threw him off, as well as confused him. "Last thing I remember-" he said stubbornly, "-he was telling me I had failed him for the last time. What's happened?"

"He put you in a Shadowlock, uh, sir" one soldier said from behind him, missing the death glare from his partner. "You've missed the last few months."

Kiel digested this, then slowly turned back to Shauna. "So what now?" he asked.

Shauna finished observing the Blood Spiral soldier's reaction, having finally noticed his partner's glare, then looked at Kiel. "Now Kiel, _I_ give the orders as The Betrayer commands" she said dangerously. "He has granted me the use of Shadowlock, which is how you are here, because he thinks you might still be of use. But the moment that changes, you'll die where you stand."

He grunted unpleasantly. "Very well then" he said, looking up. "What's the update with The Betrayer himself?"

"When you've proven worthy again, you will get that information. Not before" she said silkily. Wind glanced at her - she told him to shut up with a look, but he wasn't remotely offended.

Kiel visibly struggled with this, but clearly even he knew getting angry would do nothing in this case. "Is Tantras still around?"

"His weakened state could not be cured, so he was useless to us" she merely said. "He had to be taken care of, permanently."

Kiel's expression darkened just the slightest bit, then: "Is the Casterwill girl still around?"

She smirked.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Still mostly the 'start-off' point, but now, things are in motion.**

 **Stay tuned :P**


	3. The Plot Thickens

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Lok and his team have learned the mixed news, showcasing the return of the Red Comet, and a glimpse at Eathon Lambert, who resides in the Spirit World, Huntik. However, The Professor is still present in Huntik as well, and Lok's father appears in grave danger. Lok is determined however, and advises Dante to be on the lookout for more Nexus', as well as look into possible dimensional spells for entry into Huntik. But there is more; many Organization suits have disappeared against their will, and soon the Blood Spirals may make a comeback...**

* * *

 _"The Plot Thickens"_

 _Episode 55_

* * *

 _Huntik Foundation Council_

 _Manhattan, New York_

Dante finished getting ready, making sure his trenchcoat was properly worn. Then he picked up the report from his desk, which detailed the recent disappearance of the Organization members they'd been tracking. According to it, the suits had simply gathered in large groups on the rooftops, then just stood there and disappeared... likely the result of Seeker magic, though a type they haven't encountered before. There were also mentions of some odd energy traces, but so faint nothing concrete could be gained.

 _"I bet I know who did it"_ he thought grimly. _"Who else would just pluck Organization suits from nowhere?"_

After a moment, he made a slight sound, thoughts on another subject now. He'd actually gotten this report last night, very late, and he technically should have told Lok's team then and there. But considering it had been late, and he might've interrupted a budding romance, he didn't want to bother them. Everyone else knew though; he'd made sure of that. "Now, I can't put it off any longer" he said, walking toward the video screen, and putting in a call to them. The image came in almost instantly-

Lok was busy scarfing down some toast, and in the middle of swallowing when he saw Dante's image, so he had a very funny reaction. He almost choked, but he recovered with some heavy breathing. _"Dante!"_ he breathed, a little hoarse from effort, thumping his chest. _"Uh, what's up?"_

"I'd say it's more down than up" he said with some amusement. "In more ways than one."

Lok sheepishly chuckled. _"But really, what's going on?"_ he asked, coughing once.

"Those Organization suits we've been tracking?" he started. "They've vanished."

/

"What?" Lok gasped in disbelief. "Vanished? How!?"

 _"Considering the lack of evidence, I'm gonna guess it's the result of Seeker magic"_ Dante said. _"And the prime suspect is the same person that's after your father."_

He grunted slightly, thinking it wouldn't surprise him. "But there's no proof, right?"

Dante shook his head. _"None"_ he said, then his voice became mild: _"However, usually when we guess these things, they turn out to be right."_

Lok chuckled once; definitely had a point there. "So, I assume we should investigate?"

 _"Correct"_ Dante answered simply.

He was about to say "No problem", but a small thump near him drew his attention. A number of smaller thumps and a few mutterings, then Sophie quite literally hopped into the doorway, on one foot. She was struggling with the pink tights on her right leg, while Lok quickly noticed she was wearing one of her different outfits - the one that showed off part of her stomach. "Lok, can you hold me steady while I adjust this?" she asked distractedly.

He glanced back at the video screen. "Well, I would, but we have an audience" he said.

She looked in his direction, quickly recognized Dante and staggered a bit, her raised leg going down quickly. "Hey uh, Dante" she greeted faintly, then she looked at Lok. "What did I miss?" she asked in a slightly-harder tone, purely because of the embarrassment, he was sure.

"The Organization suits we've been tracking have vanished, Dante suspects the cause is Seeker magic, and also that the person behind it is The Professor" Lok said, counting them off on his fingers. "That about it, Dante?"

 _"Perfectly."_

Sophie cracked a smile, arms crossed. "Is there any proof for these suspicions?"

"None at all" he answered frankly. "But we do have orders to investigate and report back. You know, the usual" he continued, Sophie nodding after a moment. "Still, we're gonna need everyone."

She nodded, giving him a light squeeze on the shoulder before she left. Once she was gone, Lok turned back to Dante's video message: "Is that all, Dante?"

 _"Pretty much, except for a possible location for a Nexus, which will be faxed to your Holotome shortly"_ he answered, smiling. _"Keep in touch?"_

"You know it" he said enthusiastically, to which Dante nodded, then his video message cut itself off. Lok glanced at his nearby Holotome, which was silent, then he smiled as he picked up his leftover toast. And while he waited for Sophie to return, he lightly munched on the toast, leaning against the wall near the couch. Seconds passed by as he ate, almost done with his most recent bite-

"Lok, don't eat near the couch. I'd hate to get crumbs on it."

He stopped, then slowly swallowed his piece, turning around. "Wow, that was fast" he said, until he noticed Den and Zhalia weren't with her, not even Cherit. "Sophie?" he asked, confused.

"Den and Zhalia are out, but very soon to return, after getting a few things we need - Cherit should join us momentarily, so they're on their way" she said lightly, then she smirked slightly. "And in the meantime, move away from the couch."

He held his hands up, even as he backed away. "Okay, okay" Lok said mildly, eating the rest of his toast in one go.

Sophie crossed her arms, smirk unchanged. "And if you think I'm kissing with you with that breath, you're wrong."

"You mean with toast?" he asked with his mouth full. He quickly swallowed at her exasperated eyeroll, "Sorry, habit."

"Anyway, no, I didn't mean the smell of toast" she said, still completely amused. "I mean that your breath reeks."

He was slightly confused, but put his hand near his mouth, breathed out several times and smelled. And he recoiled a little: she was right, he _did_ reek a little. Sure he had the smell of warm toast, but it was mostly worse lingering smells... he remembered he hadn't brushed this morning; outright slipped his mind. "Yeah you're right" he said aloud, already turning to go do so. "Be right back!"

And one brushing session later, plus mouthwash, he was back. Sophie had sat down in the meantime, Cherit having perched himself on the couch at some point, while he slowed down, "Now, about that-"

"Hey!" Den greeted enthusiastically, clapping Lok on the shoulder. "What did we miss?"

"Sophie said Dante had called again" Zhalia added. "What did he say?"

"It sounds like another mission" Cherit observed, excited. "My favorite kind!"

He couldn't fault his friends for asking, as they had a right to know, but he couldn't help feeling a little letdown at the classically cliche 'mood killer'. Still, he looked at Sophie with a small smile and a shrug, simply saying "Okay, later then."

He turned his head to address Den and Zhalia, so he didn't see Sophie's mild 'Duh' look. "Anyway team, as I told Sophie, who's told everyone else, the Organization suits we've been tracking have disappeared" he started, to subtle reactions. "There's no proof yet, but Dante suspects Seeker magic, specifically from The Professor."

"And we investigate, right?" Den asked immediately.

He nodded, "Yup" Lok answered. "Or at least, you, Cherit and Zhalia will" he finished, surprising Den.

Zhalia crossed her arms, an eyebrow raised. "You can't seriously tell me that we do all the work, while you make out with Sophie" she said casually.

"H-Hey!" he protested, stuttering from the embarrassment, while behind him Sophie nearly fell off the couch. " _No_ , that's not what's gonna happen! You three will investigate as I said, while me and Sophie will verify if a Nexus location is legit or not."

"Hey bro, relax" Den said, hand on his shoulder, with a look at Zhalia. "She was kidding."

Zhalia's lip merely curved slightly, unapologetic. "Do you even know where this possible Nexus location is?"

"Not yet" Sophie answered for him (cheeks very pink), now standing by the table, where Lok's newest Foundation Holotome lay. "But Dante was gonna send it to Lok's Holotme, shortly-" she continued, only for a faint beeping to go off almost on cue; he had new mail.

Lok chuckled a bit, rubbing his head. "And that would be it."

* * *

 _Later_

Zhalia knelt down, her hand glowing with energy as she searched for any trace of Seeker energy. Unfortunately, the only visible evidence that anyone had been up here were faint tracings of footprints, many of them at that. And from there, it hit a dead-end... wait, a faint trace, but very carefully hidden. _"Not bad either way, but still the same as Dante's report."_

"Cherit, you feel the traces too, don't you?" she asked aloud.

The little Titan hovered beside her. "Indeed, but they're almost impossible to feel out" he said in worry. "Whoever cast this magic, they didn't do it in person."

She hummed, agreeing on that point, but something still seemed off about these traces. "Still, they're so faint it's hard to believe we could find them at all" she said to herself, then she stood up. "Alright, let's find Den."

In no time, she was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, keeping an eye out for Den while Cherit followed by air (but also out of sight of the streets). Soon enough, she saw him nearby, so she angled herself to intercept... landing with a bit of a thump, but Den didn't notice. "Anything?"

"Footprint marks, faint traces of energy and nothing else" he said, facing her. "Which I'm guessing you also found?" he asked, to her nod.

"Either way, it's not much evidence of what happened" Cherit said, rather dejectedly as he flew to a spot beside them. "Only that it did happen."

Zhalia held a hand near the corner of her lips. "They still should have left stronger traces, even from a distance" she mused carefully.

"If the one who cast it is the Professor, there's a problem with that already" Den said grimly. "We all know he's in Huntik, and if he did use it from there, I don't think traces translate dimensional boundaries well."

"Good point" she approved. "A shame it's not much evidence though."

"Does that mean we've failed?" he asked hesitantly.

She shook her head, a little amused. "Nah, we're just having an off day" she explained. "They happen from time to time-"

BANG!

The sound rippled through the air like a bullet, was quickly followed by what sounded like high-pressure water, and the panicked reactions of civilians.

"On second thought, maybe not such an off day" she said grimly. "Den, stay close and Cherit, stay low" she finished, already moving forward toward the source. Luckily the disturbance was only two rooftops away, which they jumped across as quickly as they could, then slowly approaching the edges on their knees. The disturbance that appeared was two things: a fire hydrant had been destroyed, and was spewing water at a high rate. The other thing was masked soldiers causing havoc, either by using Seeker spells randomly, or manhandling a few unlucky civilians. No Titans were in sight.

"Blood Spirals" Den cursed, and was already scrambling to jump down before Zhalia stopped him. "Let me go!"

"Not yet" she said in a hard tone. "We can't use Seeker spells or Titans here, not in public. Understood?"

Den slowly sighed, rubbing his head. "Alright, got it" he said reluctantly, looking back down at this scene.

"And Cherit" she added, glancing at the Titan. "If the opportunity presents itself, hit a Blood Spiral soldier from up here, but stay hidden no matter what."

"You got it!" he said enthusiastically, giving her a double thumbs up.

"Now" she started, but the command was unnecessary for Den; he just simply jumped down, landing with a grunt. She gave a small "Hmm" in response, and followed suit. As early as Den's landing, they were discovered; a Silent Soldier saw them and simply said "You!", drawing the attention of his friends.

"Us" she said simply in response, getting into stance, Den doing the same beside her.

The four immediately in range attacked at once ( _"Nursecall!"_ x2, _"Bladewave!"_ , _"Newfury!"_ ), while the other six scrambled toward the fight, not even bothering to summon anything. Zhalia instantly ducked herself to the ground, dodging two of them, then rushed forward and elbowed one of them in the gut, before tripping him + his friend with a leg sweep. At the same time, Den leapt to the side to dodge a Bladewave, then leapt forward for a kick at a solider, who blocked it. The remaining soldier flanked Den, but exposed his back to the rooftops... a quick burst of light toppled him, leaving Zhalia to smirk.

Den fought with his powered-up opponent, while Zhalia made sure to knock the two downed soldiers' heads together. Worked like a charm; they were out almost immediately. Then, with a second or two before the other six were upon them, she took a palm-sized piece of debris and threw it at Den's opponent, nailing him in the side. The solider flinched and instinctively turned toward her, which left him wide open for an uppercut from Den; that had to hurt.

 _"Cutrace!"_ the lead one called, and with a red aura, raced at her with superhuman speed.

Zhalia barely managed to position herself, with her body to the side, and her leg outstretched. She only got that way in time because of instincts and extensive training... but the result was well worth it: the Silent Soldier tripped over her leg, went sprawling across the pavement, and still had enough momentum to collide with the building. Too early to tell if he was still conscious or not, but she didn't worry about it yet.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Den manage to kick one of the soldiers, but a punch knocked him off-balance. Still, he managed to hold his ground defensively against three soldiers.

She caught a punch in both hands, and both of them strained against the other for a second. When the second soldier tried to get her from behind, she ducked, letting the dude hit his partner in the face. However, she (her grunt sounded like one) had enough strength of mind to throw her away, jarring her bearings. In that split-second, it earned her a payback punch in the gut, sending her to the ground. "Zhalia!" she heard from Den, but she wasn't worried, just slightly bruised.

The moment the Silent Soldiers advanced on her, she grabbed the lead one's foot with both hands, and threw her backward into her own friends. Then she was on her feet, and things went downhill for the soldiers real fast.

Den on the other hand had already KO'ed one soldier, but another had Den's foot in his hands, leaving him in a dangerous position. Still, he managed (barely) to take the other soldier's kick, then he jumped in the air, spinning himself so his other foot hit the first soldier in the face, freeing him. Then he caught the incoming punch, and twisted the soldier's arm around his back, making him cry out in pain. "Why are you attacking here?" he demanded, keeping his grip. "What were you ordered to do!?"

"We were told-" the soldier struggled, his face a grimace of pain. "told to attack this place, that's all. No reason given, no other objectives... Ah! No one complained!"

Den grunted, then he spun the soldier around and KO'ed him. After seeing there were no more soldiers, he clutched his throbbing fist; punching people in the face repeatedly hurt, and was that a roar in his ears? No wait, that was just the big stream of water from the broken fire hydrant.

"You okay?" Zhalia asked, running up to him, having dealt with her group. She had to speak louder than normal to be heard over the gushing water.

He looked at the fist he was nursing, sorta. "Well, if you call slight bruises 'hurt', then sure" he said. "But otherwise, no."

Zhalia surveyed the 'carnage' they had caused. "Well, on the bright side, we have something big to report here, after cleanup..."

He breathed out for a bit. "But why did they attack here?" he asked, confused. "There's absolutely _nothing_ of value here, whether to steal or attack. What, did they just do it for the fun of it?"

"Too soon to say" she mused, a little grim. "But my first instinct? For the fun of it."

"Then why no Titans?" Den asked, looking at the unconscious Silent Soliders. "They could have easily summoned a few, but they didn't."

She didn't answer for a bit, just surveyed the soldiers as well. "Normally, I'd say how low they've fallen at this point" she said faintly. "But you're right, Den; that inconsistency is too big to ignore. Orders or not, this attack was completely random, for no practical purpose that I can tell... but I think we should suspect it being part of something bigger."

* * *

 _Strait of Gibraltar, Spain_

"Wow, what a view" Lok breathed, feeling the rush of wind on his face, the shadowy lands of northern Africa on the horizon, and the sound of a waterfall from some distance away.

Below him, Sophie lightly adjusted the harness she was wearing. "It is magnificent" she agreed, then started going down the cliff. "If only this were a vacation and not a mission, we could enjoy these sights all we wanted."

He agreed, looking down at Sophie. "You sure we still can't switch?" he called down, a little playful even as he got ready. "That way I could catch you if you fall!"

"Oh sure, you'd like that" she snarked up at him, rolling her eyes. "Give you quite a 'view'."

He laughed, then jumped down a bit, his feet slamming back against the rock face. "Come on Sophie, I'm not that naive; it was a joke" he said easily. "And even if I wanted to, what you're wearing right now would prevent it. And also, it'd be way too early."

"You still wouldn't have seen anything, even if I was wearing my usual outfit" she said mildly, hopping down five steps. "And if I had somehow let you."

He opened his mouth to reply, then something in her choice of words stopped him. "If you had let me..." he repeated, then looked down as he jumped down a few more steps to catch up with her. "Sophie, what did you mean by that?"

"Figure it out yourself" she called out playfully, and her laughter echoed in the air.

"Hey!" he called out, trying to go after her. "Get back here!"

"Why don't you make me?" she challenged, still several 'jumps' below him on the rock.

He laughed back, following Sophie down as fast as he could safely do in a climbing harness, and this little chase continued for a few more minutes, at least. He got close several times, as well as lagged behind once, but he managed to keep up. Then when he paused to take a few-seconds break, he noticed Sophie had stopped completely, which made him grin. "Okay" he breathed, trying to stealthily jump down and surprise her. "You're gonna get it now-"

"Lok! You gotta see this!"

"-when I get down th-" he continued, only to register her tone. "What is it?" he asked, quickly jumping down to where she was.

She looked up when he was five feet away, then gestured to her left. "Sorta by accident, I've found a cave" she said, her tone aware of what that could mean.

His heartbeat rose, and he quickly jumped down to hang beside Sophie. She was right: there in the rock face was an opening that went back for some distance, but they couldn't tell how far due to the lighting angle. But even as he looked at this opening, a thought struck him and he quickly looked back at the waterfall, which was about two hundred feet to their right and down a bit. A hand on his shoulder brought him back, finding Sophie giving him a questioning look.

"In Peru, the other Nexus was found behind a waterfall" he said quickly, hoping it was true even as he speculated. "Well, we've just found a cave, and there's a waterfall near our potential Nexus location. What if the Nexus's are located near waterfalls, for whatever reason?"

She hummed, glancing at the opening beside them, and the waterfall. "I honestly don't see how they could be related" she started slowly, then looked back at him. "Still, that's a very good observation, Lok. We'll just see if it holds up to the scientific method" she continued, both of them carefully moving themselves to stand inside the opening.

"The scientific method" he said slowly, undoing his climbing equipment; what was that again? "That's the uh, hmm... theory that observation affects the outcome?"

Sophie laughed. "That's quantum theory, Lok" she said playfully, walking forward into the cave (he quickly followed). "Still, I'm surprised you remembered that much."

"So what's the scientific method then?" he asked sheepishly.

Sophie only playfully rolled her eyes, raising her hand and calling up a Boltflare.

He briefly recoiled at the yellow brightness, before he started walking forward. "How far do you think it-Wow!" he started to say, only to simultaneously spot an edge on their tunnel, and nearly lose his footing on it. Still, he instinctively held an arm out to keep Sophie back. Below him, the loose stones he'd kicked loose noisily landed against the ground, which thankfully wasn't too far down. Then he wondered how the heck they hadn't seen this edge till just now, even with Boltflare?

There was a moment of silence, then a touch on his outstretched arm. "Apparently not very far" Sophie said mildly. "And I appreciate the gesture, Lok, but I can take care of myself you know."

He breathed out, rubbing his head, knowing it was playful yet answering anyway: "Well, it was an instinct."

She gave him a soft look for a moment, then directed her attention to the drop, getting down on one knee to do so. "About seven feet down" she stated. "Landing won't be much of a problem, but we'll need each other's help to get back out."

"Sounds good to me" Lok said, then jumped down and landed on the floor of the cave, grunting a bit. "Hmm" he breathed, looking around the place, Sophie landing behind him with a small huff, her Boltflare spell following just above her head. The place was fairly big, a bit circular but otherwise seemed to have no other entrances or exits, just this odd bunch of arranged rocks in the middle, marking the end of a slightly-raised path in the rockbed ... his heart began to sink after every passing second. "Please tell me you're seeing something I don't, or sensing anything."

She shook her head sadly.

He sighed, sitting down on the floor, hand holding up his head. "A dead-end" he said dejectedly.

Footsteps came near him, then Sophie kneeled down beside him. "I'm sorry you're disappointed, Lok, but we haven't searched every cave yet" she said reassuringly.

He managed a small smile; she had a point. "Well, when you're worried about your father, sometimes you're a bit slow to see perfectly good reason" he admitted. "Thanks."

"Oh, I'm not done yet" she said, to his surprise, and especially when she kissed him. It was a brief peck and little else, but it did cheer him up a lot, and he took Sophie's now-extended hand. "Now, let's search those other caves."

He nodded, but before they took a single step, a sudden burst of blinding light staggered them.

Luckily the intensity started dimming, letting them look with some difficulty, then he found his heart racing: it was a Nexus! But while it looked just like he remembered, something was _off_ about it... it looked semi-transparent instead of solid? Still shielding his eyes with one hand, he groped around for his Holotome, and he managed to hit the record button after propping it up on a rock. "Sophie, what do you make of it?"

Sophie approached slowly with her eyes lidded, head turned as well - then she touched a hand to the shimmering Nexus, which passed right through it. "It certainly looks like a Nexus, but this is nowhere near solid, and I'm not sensing anything at all like before" she said slowly. "I can't understand it."

"That makes two of us" he said faintly. "Still, the Nexus is a dimensional doorway, right? Maybe... this is a side-effect? Or leakage? Or something like that?"

And just as suddenly as it came, the shimmering image disappeared completely - the brightness level left afterimages in their eyes though.

There was silence for a few moments, then Lok sighed, shutting off the recording Holotome. "Yet again" he murmured, looking at the spot where the shimmering Nexus had been.

"Lok" Sophie started, already starting to step toward him.

He raised a hand though, smiling slightly. "I've already been cheered up on this subject, Sophie" he said in a reassuring tone. "And not only do I know the drill, I'm alright."

"Well then" she stated playfully, crossing her arms and walking away. "Perhaps I won't bother next time."

He chuckled slightly, getting up and following her to the edge. "So who's first?" he asked, looking up their seven-foot-cliff. "Do I pull you up, or will you pull me?"

"I think I will" she answered, looking at him. "You've already done your job as a leader by recording what happened back there, and keeping yourself together."

He acknowledged that by getting into position, then Sophie got onto his back, which made him grunt. "In exchange, do I get to beat you in the race to the next cave?" he asked with effort, trying to power through.

Sophie went 'Heh', now standing on his back. "Perhaps" she answered, then with a little effort pulled herself up onto the tunnel they'd entered from.

He merely grinned; whether she was serious or not, it was gonna be fun either way. And true to letting her go first, Sophie pulled him up, enough that he could help himself up (not without effort, but still). Still, as this happened, he tried to think about the semi-transparent Nexus – had there been one here, but destroyed/taken away/something like that? So what was this flickering afterimage that they'd seen?

/

"Uff. Man, climbing back up is nowhere near as fun as going down."

Sophie looked down at Lok, who while perfectly steady, was showing signs of effort. "We're almost there, Lok" she said mildly, glancing back up as she lifted her leg to get another foothold. "Just another twenty feet or so"

She heard his groan, and while this both irritated and amused her, she did understand it to a degree.

Twenty feet later, she pulled herself up with a huff, and immediately turned around to help Lok up. Even as he took her hand though, she became aware that something wasn't right... then she immediately whirled around.

A man stood some distance away, waiting for her.

"No!" she exclaimed, standing up and instinctively at the ready. Because she was still holding Lok's hand, her sudden momentum pulled him up and forward at the same time ("Woah!"), making him land on his stomach - luckily he wasn't in any danger of falling at quick inspection. "I thought I'd seen the last of you!"

"Yeah?" Kiel asked quietly, arms crossed. "You thought wrong, Casterwill."

"Damn it!" Lok cursed as he scrambled to his feet, bringing up both hands, as if to hold-

"Not you, boy" Kiel cut him off. "Much as I'd like to fight both of you, my orders are to fight her, alone" he continued, then he smirked cruelly. "If you insist though, there wasn't anything about knocking you unconscious."

"Lok, please" she begged a little, taking his wrists.

"I can't let you fight this maniac alone, Sophie!" he whispered in an undertone.

"I can take him" she said quietly.

Lok slowly subsided, but very reluctantly. After that, Sophie turned toward Kiel with a hard look, striding toward a space to his left to give them room. She watched his every move, and he stared evenly back, his only move being a slow turn to stay with her. She finally stopped about ten feet away from him, quite a distance away from the cliff.

"Ready to go, Casterwill?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Kiel" she said scathingly. "You can't terrorize me anymore!"

He merely laughed, uncrossing his arms and pulling out an amulet (she tensed). "Maybe not, but terror isn't the only thing in my arsenal, now is it?" he challenged, then held it out. _"Burn everything, Efreet King!"_

With a continuous wave of sizzling, Efreet King swirled onto the scene, his fiery form never touching the ground. Though half of his form was pure fire, he resemblance was more in-line with a horned demon. With a growl, Efreet King held itself at the ready, but did not strike just yet.

"If I were you, I'd stay scared" Kiel noted, till he laughed again. "Not that I would dare be a Casterwill, even if my life depended on it!"

"Why you-" Sophie nearly snarled, before she forced herself out of it with a grunt; she couldn't let herself be provoked. Plus, this was probably part of his orders anyway. "Well, you're the one who should be scared, Kiel" she shot back, not entirely without hitch, but still successfully. She pulled out a ring from her pocket as she continued, "Thanks to some help, I'm no longer afraid of fire."

Kiel grunted, obviously displeased, but otherwise did nothing.

She held out the ring in front of her, with both hands, a rush of wind accompanying the motion.

 _"Rise, Legendary Titan of Rebirth, Phoenix!"_

No one could mistake the bird that rose from this ring, or the flames that accompanied it's arrival. Unlike most legends though, Phoenix was a _very large_ bird-of-prey, with a wreath of flames coating her body. Flapping her wings, Phoenix hovered above her owner, letting loose a shrill cry that rang forth. Kiel was initially caught off-guard, but though he worked not to show it, it was too late for that.

After one breath, she shook off the strain of summoning Phoenix. "Can your flames dare hurt her?" she asked calmly.

His mouth formed a snarl, but he grunted. "Get her" he commanded to Efreet King, who obliged.

Sophie tensed, but before she could do anything, Phoenix rammed straight into Efreet King, and she felt the impact. This sent both Seekers sprawling to the left, but it did nothing to stop the fight; Efreet King slammed two punches on Phoenix's head, then Phoenix head-butted Efreet King in the chest. After that, Sophie focused her attention on Kiel, who grinned savagely and was at the ready. "Bring it" he taunted.

She raised her arms. " _Doublespell! Kindlestrike!"_

Kiel ran straight toward her, unconcerned. _"Armorburn!"_

At first, her dual Kindlestrikes struggled against his burning aura, but then their blue light faded. She grunted, raising her fists. _"Chillskin!"_ she cried, a bubble shield forming over her body.

Just as Kiel came into range, he threw a punch at her, which she dodged, kicking him in the side in retaliation. The kick staggered him, but because of the meeting of Armorburn and Chillskin, a cloud of steam hissed from the contact. Both of them ignored this as Kiel turned toward her-

The attacks continued back-and-forth for some time, steam hissing with each contact. In fact after a minute, they were fighting in a literal cloud of steam, a thick one too.

Sophie staggered backward from one punch, then just as Kiel came with his next punch, she quickly grabbed him by the wrist. Steam hissed profusely off this contact, but she twisted and threw him off to the side, hard enough that he went sprawling. After that, she pressed a hand to her chest, _"Everfight"_ she breathed, regaining some of her strength. When she looked at where she'd thrown Kiel, he was gone. She quickly put up a ready position in the fog-free center, looking all over the place, and not discounting attacks from the side or behind.

 _"Powerscan"_ she whispered under her breath, hoping to find his _Armorburn_ spell.

She felt nothing though; the spell's duration/energy level must have ended. And to press the point, _Chillskin_ faded from around her as well. "Great" she muttered.

Her instincts kicked in; she pushed herself to the side.

She was barely in time as a _Stormflare_ blasted through the space where she had been.

She grunted, aiming the way the spell had come from. _"Augerfrost!"_

The spell blasted through the fog, but she heard nothing, making her suspicious. She crouched down low... then a second later, a _Fireswarm_ burst over her head; she could feel the heat from here.

She glanced that way. _"Almost directly from the other side"_ she thought carefully, never staying still, just in case. _"He shouldn't have been able to move that quickly, except with Cutrace."_

Another thought disturbed her: this wasn't Kiel's style at all, hiding and blasting from the shadows. And even if it was, he wouldn't miss that easily, nor could she afford to shoot blindly. This entire part of the battle wasn't like him in fact!

Still, she needed a way to clear this steam- wait a minute.

Why clear it when she could just get out?

She held out her hands in front of her. _"Bubblelift"_ she said, speaking as quietly as possible.

The thin layer of water formed in front of her, but twisted a bit in the process; it wasn't meant to be used on herself. But she managed, grunting as she lifted herself off the ground. Steam obscured her vision, but she kept rising until it cleared, where she estimated she was twenty feet of the ground. And the scene below surprised her: sometime after Kiel's Fireswarm, Lok had rushed forward, and now he was dueling hand-to-hand with Kiel. Up in the sky above them, Phoenix and Efreet King were still duking it out, landing powerful blows and sending tongues of fire through the air before they evaporated.

She felt warm at Lok's concern for her, but she had to push it aside; she ended _Bubblelift_ , now falling straight down toward the fight. Seconds after that, she used _Featherdrop_ to slow her descent enough to land safely. _"Raypulse!"_

Kiel staggered from the hit, but had enough strength of mind to exclaim _"Auraforce!"_ , sending out a purple shock-wave that threw Lok off his attack, making him land in front of her with a grunt. She quickly joined Lok's side, but Kiel only seemed to like this, as he grinned. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" he called, bringing out another amulet. _"Show no mercy, Balenpyre!"_ he called, bringing out the fiery golem by his side, his single eye falling on the two of them.

Sophie looked at Lok, who had already brought out an amulet of his own, standing up. "Ready?" he asked.

She smirked. "Always" she answered, doing the same.

 _"Bring it on, Baselaird!" - "Join me, Enfluxion!"_

Baselaird's golden armor glinted in the sunlight as he flourished his sword, shield also at the ready. Enfluxion floated off the ground, her smaller watery form translucent in the sunlight, brandishing her tendril arms. Balanpyre didn't wait for things to start; he immediately shot several fireballs at them. Without prompt, Baselaird blocked them with his shield, then Enfluxion popped up over him and blasted at Kiel's Titan. He blocked it with a wall of fire, then the three of them rushed each other.

At the same time, Lok and Sophie battled with Kiel himself. _"Kindlestrike!"_ Sophie blasted, which Kiel dodged, then retaliated ( _"Enderflame!"_ ), she barely managing to sidestep. On the other side, Lok blasted Kiel with _Augerfrost_ , forcing him a step backward.

She saw her chance, but before she could, there was a bright flare of light, then Efreet King returned to Kiel.

She whirled around instinctively; Phoenix hung in the air, but it was clear from her slow wing-beats that she was utterly exhausted. She had to give Kiel's Efreet King credit: being able to stand up to a Legendary Titan was no small feat, and he wasn't even Powerbonded.

Unfortunately, she realized too late that she'd turned her back to Kiel.

 _"Firestorm!"_

 _"Hyperstride!"_

"Woah!" she cried out as Lok picked her up, then got them both out of the spell's path, just in time. When several seconds passed and nothing happened, Lok slowly put her down, which she was grateful for.

"Thanks for that, Lok" she said, having no time to feel embarrassed or grateful; just disgruntled at herself for letting that happen. "You go ahead and distract Kiel. I'll take care of Phoenix and get back to you."

Lok nodded, running back into the fight with Hyperstride again, while she turned and held up Phoenix's ring. She knew just by looking Phoenix couldn't last much longer, even if she stayed out. "Phoenix, come back!"

Even high in the sky, Phoenix heard her command, then she turned into a burst of light. It took her several moments to return, but eventually she did – she staggered from the effort, but she managed to shake it off.

When she rushed back to the battle, Balenpyre was losing steam, but so was Baselaird, as he'd been doing most of the defending (Enfluxion was currently blasting away). And at the moment, Kiel was trying to break through Lok's _Armorbrand_ , his back turned and completely oblivious to her approach.

 _"Perfect"_ she thought, keeping _Hyperstride_ going as long as she could. It ran out three feet away, but that was close enough; she ran up and grabbed Kiel on both sides of his head. Even as he yelled out in outrage at this, Sophie didn't give him a chance: _"Clatterbang!"_

The spell did exactly what it implied, right in Kiel's ears at full volume, making him yell in pain.

He staggered around a little, but Lok followed up on her success: _"Doublespell! Dragonfist!"_

Kiel went sprawling, and at the same time, Enfluxion ended Balenpyre with a huge blast of water. Kiel further grunted when he returned to him as well, but when he tried to stand up, he found the Legendary Willblade aimed at his chest.

"Face it, Kiel" Lok said in a hard tone. "You've lost, so don't even bother."

"Lok?" she asked, a little worried.

Kiel grunted, slapping the Willblade away from him (Lok staggered off-balance, and she quickly caught him), but he didn't attack. "You're just lucky my orders are strict" he said dismissively, then his Blood Spiral mark began to glow a dark red. They tensed even more at this, but Kiel merely looked at it, clearly disgruntled. Then the energy swirled around him, even concealing, but when it vanished, Kiel was gone as well.

Seconds passed, during which they slowly looked at each other.

She couldn't shake the feeling something was terribly wrong; it was no secret Kiel wanted her and all Casterwills dead, but the Blood Spirals had ordered him not to kill her yet? Or to just fight her for no good reason (that she could see yet)? At times attacking/acting like himself, but then others made moves out of character? What on earth was going on!?

Beside her, the Willblade vanished once again, and Lok sighed. "Acting tough I can do" he said slowly. "Threats don't come so easily though..."

She looked at him. "You were trying to scare him" she slowly stated.

He slowly nodded, then glanced at her. "I, uh... was trying to make him think twice before attacking you again" he breathed. "Guess I didn't succeed too well, huh? I just, well, didn't want him to hurt you."

She put a hand on his shoulder, slightly warm at that. "Still, you almost made me think you were really gonna hurt him" she said out loud, giving him a push.

He let out a breath. "Sorry."

...

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Many hours later_

"Well, that was fun" Lok said, but his tone was muffled by tiredness.

She made a small sound, both of them walking together hand-in-hand. "That was disturbing, Lok" she amended, looking at him as she stopped. "I haven't seen Kiel since the attack on the Fortress of Iron Will. And knowing Rassimov, I thought I'd never see him again..." she continued, before trailing off. "But I guess I was wrong."

"Sophie" he breathed, worried. "We'll make sure he pays, trust me."

She didn't answer.

He slowly sighed, then pulled her into a hug. "We will" he repeated softly.

She didn't respond at first, but she slowly hugged him back. "Thanks, Lok" he heard, then she pulled away, still holding his hand. "Come on."

"Where to?"

"My - sorry, our room now."

Despite his exhaustion, his heart raced a bit. He knew it was a bit stupid, as they'd only sleep and nothing more would happen, but nothing could suppress the instinct. Still, he managed to agree with the 'stupid' part; they were in no mood to even think about doing anything more.

Then they arrived and she pushed the door open, leading himself inside. Due to being exhausted, his vision or attention to detail wasn't that good... but he did get a sense of big-but-not-too-big, a window with brown curtains, her bed itself, as well as a couch propped up underneath the aforementioned window.

Sophie let go of his hand then, but he didn't really notice, because he was gesturing at the couch. "Is that my spot?" he asked. "And won't it be too bright tomorrow?"

"It is" she answered gently, even as he walked toward it. "And I made sure the angle would prevent sunlight from hitting your face. It'll probably still be bright, but not unbearably so."

"Ah, that's sweet" he whispered softly, crawling in and settling himself in. "Mmm, comfy."

He heard her giggle a little. "Goodnight, Lok"

"Goodnight" he answered faintly, probably out already for all he knew. He didn't see her affectionately roll her eyes with a smirk, stretch, and everything else.

* * *

 _Huntik Foundation Council_

 _Manhattan, New York_

"I still can't believe you, Dante."

Dante paused in eating and looked at Metz, lowering his late-time snack; a biscuit. "What makes you say that?" he asked mildly.

His old friend smiled a bit. "You were always a very talented child, and you've proven yourself in ways I can't even begin to calculate. But I never thought I'd be talking to a Seeker who's planning on finding a way to Huntik, or who's been to the abyss!"

The mention of that incident paused him; truthfully, he still found the entire thing disquieting. The mere foretelling of his death had made him uneasy, in addition to the anguish over seeing Zhalia weep over his grave... the latter image was still fresh in his mind. The fact that he'd actually gone through it had been harrowing, to put it mildly. True, he'd brushed the whole matter aside when he did return, acting like it had been no big deal and kicking butt like usual, but it had partly been an act. Having it talked about again brought it all back-

His silence went long enough that Metz noticed, his friend growing more serious. "What's wrong, Dante?" he asked, in that tone that you just knew meant you couldn't lie, or they'd know.

Slowly, he glanced at him. "Metz, my old friend" Dante said, faint. "I don't regret my actions, but bringing up the fact that I died just makes me uneasy."

Metz leaned back. "Do you want to talk?"

He appreciated the choice. "Well, I guess I just feel odd about this whole ordeal" he said after a few seconds, glancing out the window. "Even with Seeker magic, Titans and all that, when a person's dead, they're supposed to stay dead. The fact that I've died and come back, even through advanced Legendary Titan magic, makes me feel I'm not fully human anymore."

"You are human, Dante" Metz said gently, then he sighed. "But I understand why you feel uneasy; the abyss isn't something people can say they understand with any confidence. The fact that you've come back probably doesn't feel natural."

"Yeah" he said faintly. "It doesn't; I feel and remember everything the way I did previously, and literally nothing has changed... but I know that I _did_ die. It's very strange, even... unsettling."

Metz was silent for a moment, then he smiled. "But Dante, to many of us, it doesn't change a thing" he said gently. "You're still you, and that's all that matters."

Dante looked back at his old friend, and smiled a bit. "All good points" he admitted. "Still, I'm not exactly the type to let this kind of thing get to me. Not for long anyway."

"I'd be surprised if it was any different" Metz said, before giving him a look. "But, having known you so long, I can tell it goes deeper than you're letting on."

He was silent for a moment, before he tilted his head. "Perhaps" he said, eating again. "But they also say that talking about these things is healthy, so now it's out there."

He knew full well it was an evasion, and Metz recognized it as such. "And I'm glad I could listen, my old friend" Metz agreed after a moment, taking a bite of his own biscuit. "But even if this is still gnawing at you, somewhere deep down, time will help with that. Until then, you give off a natural aura of confidence and leadership, so many won't notice anything is wrong, unless you let them."

He chuckled a bit. "Now that's how you give a pep talk, Metz" he said, his old friend smiling in response.

So he played off - internally though, he still felt undercurrents regarding that event.

They ate in silence for awhile, enough that his uneasiness began to fade, then Metz looked off to the side. "Dante, forgive my curiosity, but didn't you give that Logosbook to Lok?" he asked after a moment, pointing toward it. Dante looked at the nearby table, where it currently lay.

"I did, but that one is bound to an existing one, this time to Zhalia's" he said easily, glancing at him. "No one else knows this yet; it's very recent."

Metz studied him, but not with alarm; more with what seemed to be amusement. "Why would you go to such lengths, my friend?" he asked, before raising an eyebrow. "And what happened to the Logosbook arrangement when Zhalia infiltrated the Blood Spirals?"

"I have my reasons" he said, eating again casually. "They'll be executed in due time. As for that, Zhalia lost her Logosbook in all the confusion of the Spiral Mark incident, understandably. And by the way, how far along is the councils' deliberations?"

Metz chuckled, letting the matter go as he drank a little water. "I think they're almost done, and the outcome looks favorable" he answered.

"Very good" he answered, looking up a bit in thought. _"With a little luck, Lok and his team will finally get permission for their work to become official."_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Why would he indeed, hmm? ;) Not that it isn't obvious lol  
**

 **As for the guest (or anyone else) who's thinking 'too much Lok x Sophie', that's kinda how things are. Dante's on the Council in America, and Zhalia's with the team in Italy, and thus far all contact they've had was in the presence of everyone else.** **Key words being 'thus far'; obviously there's a lot more to come, this being only the 3rd chapter of 26th. It also won't only be about LokXSophie - it'll be skewed toward them, roughly 60/40, but still won't leave DanteXZhalia behind.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	4. Workflow

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **During their investigation in Venice, Zhalia, Den and Cherit engage a group of Blood Spirals, but it seems far too easy. Meanwhile, Lok and Sophie discover a startling phenomenon at the Strait of Gibraltar; a shimmering vision of a Nexus, which appeared before him briefly. However, they were waylaid by Kiel, returned after his defeat at the Fortress of Iron Will. Sophie and Lok manage to defeat him together, but his mysterious orders regarding her disturb them both.**

* * *

 _"Workflow"_

 _Episode 56_

* * *

 _Manhattan, New York_

 _"Endtrace."_

Nothing happened, but Dante only looked at his hand, which was currently glowing with Seeker energy. "Nothing huh?" he said to himself. "Well, that's the fifth spell I've tried. It seems making up new spells is harder than it looks... then again it's only been a week" he continued. He glanced up afterward, considering what possible spell combinations he could try and invent on the spot. As he did so, the wind blew lightly across the rooftops, where he was personally trying to trace the missing Organization suits.

"Hmm" he said, looking back down. _"Followthrough."_

The energy shimmered a bit, then with a small burst of light, a sickly-green stream of energy appeared near his hand.

He was surprised, but grinned. "Well, that worked" he said mildly, slowly reaching. The moment his hand touched it, the stream of energy extended itself: one end went to his right, twisting and spiraling somewhat before finally attaching itself directly to the rooftop next to him - which he quickly thought was where the Organization suits had been standing before they disappeared. The other end started off to his left, twisted and spiraled considerably more as it angled upward, and then just seemed to stop at a point in mid-air.

Dante observed this carefully. But at second glance, it didn't seem to actually stop; it was more like there was an invisible barrier beyond where he saw it stop.

He smiled as he considered this; perhaps that was the representation of the dimensional boundary between their world and Huntik itself.

Then he closed his eyes... just as he thought, the stream of energy suddenly burst onto his mind; he could see it easily. Then his 'sight' followed it, twisting and spiraling more times than he could count, but he preserved. At one point, they must have reached the dimension of Huntik, for the pitch-blackness actually acquired a different quality. Once more he followed the stream of energy, then it stopped, for it had reached it's target: a very big man, with an outline that was impossible to ignore.

He snapped out of it, opening his eyes.

"Well" he said mildly. "That was completely weird."

Still, despite the weird acid trip he just went through, he did manage to confirm who had taken the Organization suits; and now it was time to tell Lok. And since it would take some time to get back to HQ, he searched through his pack for the Logosbook. He first found the blue one ( _"Wait, not Zhalia's, not yet at least"_ ), put it back and dug out the other one, which was golden in color instead, thanks to the fact that he replaced their covers. It wasn't meant to be used casually, but he thought they'd like to know anyway.

 _"Logosbook."_

So, taking out a pen, Dante started writing.

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

Lok struggled a bit as he combed his hair; sure he washed it and everything, but the thing always seemed to find knots in there, or situations that otherwise felt like them. He preserved though, and eventually the comb went through it, and he laughed a little to himself. The rest of this mundane activity went by without excitement, even as he stood inside the bedroom.

"Lok, have you seen my green comb?"

"Yeah" he called, though not moving. "I'm using it as we speak."

Sophie's only response was a muffled annoyed sigh, and it was only muffled because the bathroom door between them was closed. "You could have at least told me that."

"Well, I've seen you use the red comb over and over, so I thought this one was mine" he answered, turning toward it, sorta by instinct. "Well you know, mine to borrow, not own."

"Well, wash it when you're done."

"I assume you mean after you come out of there?" he asked, with a distinct playful hint as he finished.

"Well of course I mean that!" she said quickly.

"I was joking, Sophie" he said normally, approaching the door but remaining outside. "I know full well if I walked in, it'd likely lead to a very awkward encounter. And I'd hate to have that happen."

She was silent for a moment. "But still, part of you might enjoy that" she answered, with traces of embarrassment.

Lok smiled a bit, though embarrassed. "Maybe on some level" he conceded. "But I would hate to see things I'm not prepared for, or make things awkward between us... I'd really prefer things happen naturally."

There was the sound of running water, silence for a moment, then the door opened. "I believe you" Sophie said, before going to mild. "But thus far, things are going well."

"But it's only been two days" he pointed out, with a little smile. "Still a long time to go."

She smiled, nodding. "Of course" she answered, then walked past him. "Anyway, the bathroom's yours again."

He turned around, watching her go for a little, before he briefly glanced down near Sophie's waist - then he realized this and hurried into the bathroom, embarrassed again.

A few seconds passed, during which time he washed the comb with faucet water; your average thing to be doing.

"Lok?" he heard, making him lift his head with a 'Hmm?'. "Your Logosbook's ringing."

He felt surprise for a split-second, quickly turned the faucet off and hurried out of the bathroom, making sure to leave the comb there. True to her words, his Logosbook (which Sophie was holding in her hands) was glowing with an aura, ready to have it's words seen. "I wonder what Dante wants to tell me" he said, taking her from her and opening it up. Sophie didn't answer, merely stepped closer to see the message herself. _"Logosbook."_

 _Lok, have the team ready for a message from me in about ten minutes._

This left the two of them surprised, but Dante wasn't done, as the previous words vanished before:

 _I'd write it down here, but then I couldn't tell you all at once._

Sophie glanced at him, and his smile said it all before he closed the Logosbook. "All right, you heard him" he said briskly. "Let's find Zhalia, Den and Cherit."

* * *

Turns out, they didn't need to search much: all three of them were already in the briefing room. Den was playing with Cherit, a simple game of trying to snatch something out of Cherit's paws, while he flew to stay out of his reach (but not completely). So far, Cherit was doing a good job challenging him, but Den was getting faster. Zhalia was simply reading in an armchair, though she did glance up once when Den went by her.

Lok looked at Sophie briefly. "Well, that was easier than I thought."

"And what's that?" Zhalia asked, without looking up. Den and Cherit heard, as seen by a few subtle motions, but they kept up with their game.

"He's saying it was easier to find you three than we thought" Sophie said mildly. "Still, it's a good thing; now we can see Dante's message sooner."

The mere mention of Dante's name jarred Den and Cherit out of their game, instantly turning toward them; Zhalia simply put down the book and stood up. "What about?" she asked intently.

"He'll tell us in his message, which will happen in minutes" Lok said, now in the center of the room, looking at the currently-dim video screen. "Anyone know how to make time go faster?"

Almost as soon as he asked that, the video screen came on: _"Well, you all got here fast"_ Dante said, startling them a little. _"Then again, I called earlier than I said I would."_

"True" Zhalia said, a little amused. "But you still called all of us here for a message; care to tell us?"

He chuckled, smiling. _"Of course"_ he started. _"I did my own share of tracking with Huntik HQ, and sorta by luck, I invented a new spell to do it. And it's confirmed that the person responsible for snatching the Organization suits is The Professor."_

"Well, that takes away the doubt" Den said. "But it's not really new."

 _"No,"_ Dante acknowledged, _"but this is: Huntik HQ has deliberated at length regarding your search to find Eathon, as well as accessing Huntik itself. And I can gladly say that they approve."_

"Wait a minute, are you saying-" Sophie said, looking at Lok during part of that.

 _"It's now official, everyone"_ he said gladly. _"An official mission, with priority over all else."_

"YES!" Lok shouted, both arms in the air and in fists. "Woohoo!"

His outburst startled everyone present, including Dante... at least until they expressed amusement in their own ways. Lok slowly realized his outburst, then lowered his arms with a sheepish expression. "Uh, sorry."

"Don't be, Lok" Sophie said, touching his arm. "We were startled, but we fully understand."

 _"And adding onto that"_ Dante said, drawing their attention back. _"We have two new possible Nexus locations, which should be faxed to you right about... now."_

By instinct, the all looked toward Lok's Holotome, but it was silent until two seconds later, when it's 'new mail' indicator went off.

 _"Hmm, guess I was slightly off"_ Dante observed from the video screen, even as Lok walked toward it.

"Yeah" Lok agreed, opening the Holotome.

 _"Mission: Nexus Search."_ it spoke, giving him a similar card. _"Travel across Earth, confirming and denying Nexus locations, for purpose to enter the Spirit World, Huntik."_

Lok grinned briefly. "Seekers, we have a mission" he said, then looked back at Dante. "We'll visit these locations as quickly as possible, Dante."

 _"I know you will"_ Dante answered. _"Good luck"_ he finished, then his image turned off.

"All right" Lok said slowly, looking at the two faxed locations, seeing one in the fringes of the Amazon and another high up in the Tibet mountains. "Team, we'll tackle these together. Sophie, Cherit, with me; Zhalia, you and Den will be the other team."

"Again?" Zhalia asked, but it was amused.

"Yes, again" he said patiently, glancing at Sophie. "Anyway, I believe me, Sophie, and Cherit will handle the Amazon; give you and Den some climbing experience this time around."

* * *

 _Tibetan Mountains_

 _Tibet (obviously)_

"Man" Den breathed, shivering as he covered himself up more with his winter coat. "It's freezing up here."

Zhalia looked back at him, also wearing her winter coat + gear, the wind lighting pulling at strands of her hair. "This is your first experience braving extreme cold, isn't it Den?" she asked, looking out slightly over the area. They were standing at the base of the Tibetan mountains, one of them at least, but still roughly five hundred feet above ground level. Oddly enough, there wasn't any snow where they were, though it was cold enough for it.

"What gave it away?" he asked ruefully. "I'm not gonna die though; I'm just not used to it."

She nodded. "Well, the important thing is to keep moving, even while in place; it keeps you warm" she said, leading the way.

"Isn't that usually said when it's snowing?" he pointed out.

She chuckled. "Well yeah, but it's still good cold weather advice" she said more mildly, then she glanced up, searching for her flying Titan. Soon she saw three little flying blurs - her three Strix Titan's, who were doing reconnaissance on her behalf. As she watched, she noticed something seemed to be agitating them, which was saying something since they were constantly-buzzing mosquito-esque Titans. She held out an arm to stop Den, then closed her eyes, _"Sharpeye"_ she whispered to herself, and for several seconds both of them were silent.

When her eyes opened, they had a red glow superimposed over them; the exact same as Strix's. Zhalia now saw what Strix did, but she needed a few moments to adjust to the different vision: Strix had a distinct compound eye pattern, so there were many little hexagons neatly aligned. Then something moved across their vision, and she tried to focus, but they were moving too fast. That was, until one stopped for a moment, and the image cleared up - a hooded man in a mask, gesturing at the others to hurry up the base of the mountain.

She closed her eyes, ending the spell as she quickly turned to Den. "Blood Spirals" she said grimly. "This time they've found us."

Den gritted his teeth, grunting once. "So what's the plan?" he asked in a hard tone. "Do we fight or do we run?"

"We could run, but in our effort to do so, we could walk right by the Nexus and never know it" she said, thinking it over quickly. "Plus I'd rather not waste time."

Den pulled out two of his amulets; Kaioh the Tracker and Cursed Archer, his smile grim. "I see what you're saying" he said easily. "They won't stand a chance."

She merely smirked, digging around her own amulets. "Agreed" she replied, her breath materializing in the air as she found Strix's amulet, recalling him with a distinct red glow coming up from above. Sure it'd give away their position, but that was the point, even as she put Strix back in her pocket. As she did so, she wondered which of her own Titans she should use; Gar-Ghoul, King Basilisk, perhaps Kilthane? Then a small disturbance slowly drew her attention: the first masked Silent Soldier climbed up, followed by three others, and so on and so on until roughly twenty of them stood assembled at the base of the mountain.

Might break a few sweats, but they'd have plenty of room.

"All right, men; you have your orders" one of them called, obviously a woman by sound and body aesthetics. On her order, the soldiers tensed up, most of them simply putting up battle-stances, and a few pulling out an amulet of their choice. "And you two have nowhere to run" she continued, referring to Zhalia and Den.

They looked at each other, eyebrows raised, then smirked in unison. "Does it look like we were running?" Den called out.

"Yes, the standing-completely-still must have given it away" Zhalia added, a bit more sarcastic.

The woman in charge grunted, but she made a decent effort to salvage her dignity: "You still have no chance against us!"

"Oh yeah, I'm shaking" Den said dourly, actually faking a yawn. "Twenty vs. two? I handled more than that before breakfast actually!"

 _"The kid's geting good at trash-talk"_ she thought approvingly, enjoying the subtle signs of anger in the commander's bearing. _"Hating them helps though."_

The woman shook herself out of it, then turned to the soldiers. "Well? Get them!"

 _"Embrace madness, Harlekin!"_ ; _"Bring chaos, Marauder!"_ ; _"Fly, Midnight Rook!"_ three of the soldiers called out, almost in unison. Each of their symbols burst onto the scene, transforming into the specified monsters: the monster clown, Harlekin; the masked mummy, Marauder; and Midnight Rook, the armored-looking crow.

 _"Only three of them?"_ Zhalia thought, suspicious even as she readied her own Titans. _"That doesn't seem like them, especially since they pursued us with a small army."_

If their orders were to confuse them though, they were succeeding.

Den laughed, "That's it? I feel sorry for you" he said, then raised his two amulets. _"Show yourself, Kaioh the Tracker, Cursed Archer!"_ he called out, each symbol turning into their respective Titan. Kaioh hefted his staff, a vine whip slicing through the air with a loud SNAP!; Cursed Archer pulled out a sword-like 'arrow', which crackled with energy, but didn't aim just yet.

Zhalia moved her hand, subconsciously deciding on King Basilisk, only to stop when Gar-Ghoul's amulet gave her a mental 'tingle'. It was hard to explain, but she felt Gar-Ghoul's feelings - he wanted to pulverize these soldiers. She smirked a bit, why not? She wanted to do much the same, and she approved of his instinct. _"Punish them, Gar-Ghoul!"_ she called.

Gar-Ghoul's icon came onto the scene... but it and Gar-Ghoul changed.

He remained mostly grey, with some slight amounts of gold and red, but now he had a touch more gold. The stone bracers and shoulder-pads had turned golden, as had the 'belt' near his waist. Where previously his chest had been bare, it now had gold armor plating, tinged with red along the rims. Another new addition was a short-length of golden chain, wrapped around the thickest part of his tail. The wings appeared to have been left alone, but when they unfurled, you could faintly see a thin light-blue lining on the edges.

Gar-Ghoul roared, staggering the soldiers and making many of them pause, even take a step back. The three Titans appeared unaffected by the fear, but the noise was another matter.

"All right!" Den called out, grinning. "Their chances just went down to zero!"

" _What_ chances?" she snarked, but still pleased, even as the battle commenced immediately.

Things happened quickly: Harlekin and Marauder rushed toward Gar-Ghoul, who blasted high-pressure water at them, which they both dodged (Harlekin by flipping over it, and Marauder the usual way). At the same time, Midnight Rook flew around at high speed, evading the reach of Kaioh's whip and striking back with many quick-though-weak attacks. Zhalia kicked away a Silent Soldier, sending him off-balance, then she grabbed his buddy and spun him into the first guy, before getting grazed by a Nullcurse. Den punched, blocked, did the standard back-and-forth for some time before he yelled _"Dragonfist!"_ and a Soldier went flying. Marauder managed to land a hit on Gar-Ghoul, who growled and swiped his tail - Marauder managed to duck, but the attack got Harlekin... then a energy-sword 'arrow' struck Marauder in the back, staggering him.

Zhalia quickly dodged a fist, then immediately grabbed her aggressor's head with both hands. _"Mindsight"_ she said calmly, hands glowing blue as the soldier grunting at his changing vision. Then she backed off, and the Soldier shook his head and attacked... in the completely wrong direction, accidentally tackling his teammate, to her smirk. "Gar-Ghoul, take flight!" she called.

Near the other side, Den grunted as he blocked/dodged a flurry of attacks, hearing Gar-Ghoul roar in the background. _"Darkfog!"_ he called out, hands aimed directly at the ground. The sheer mass of smoke temporarily hid him from view, causing the current attacks to miss and put the soldiers on edge. At first nothing happened, then Cursed Archer charged out, wielding his bow as a melee weapon. He sent two soldiers to the ground before retreating back into the fog - in his place, Den charged out just as the fog started clearing. He landed a blow on one, but then got sent to the ground by the other soldier's Newfury; Cursed Archer quickly placed himself in front of Den, brandishing his sword-arrows.

Kaioh threw his whip again, but missed; his opponent was too fast to catch this way, so he stopped moving afterward, listening. Behind him, Midnight Rook came around for another attack, talons outstretched, while Kaioh tilted his head slightly. Midnight Rook got dangerously close, then Kaioh whirled around and plucked him out of thin air, leaving him struggling in his grip. Kaioh took a moment to observe his prize, then he snapped his whip and tripped up several soldiers around him.

Gar-Ghoul traded blows with Harlekin and Marauder, but while the latter managed to avoid his lunging grip, Harlekin was unable to escape Gar-Ghoul's clutches. For several moments, with an ugly angry grimace, Harlekin struggled with most of him hanging from Gar-Ghoul's paw... until he screeched when an arrow struck him in the back. Then he vanished in a burst of light, returning to the amulet of his (downed) owner.

 _"All right, Gar-Ghoul"_ Zhalia mentally called out, holding off another Soldier. _"Freeze them"_ she thought to him.

He growled in response, then turned toward the Blood Spirals - he unleashed a stream of icy wind upon them, and it caused chaos. Not only did the soldiers cry out/stumble from the force, ice started forming with sudden rapidity; in five seconds a hand was completely encased on one soldier, and both feet on another. Gar-Ghoul only kept the stream up, soldiers slowing even as their cries and shouts got louder at first, then quieted as they were encased. When Gar-Ghoul finally stopped, there was little more than frozen soldiers, along with Marauder (who's leg was stuck in the ice). After this, much of the battle simply stopped altogether.

Den finished with his current soldier, before slowly looking at the scene; he looked a little troubled. Still, he gestured for Cursed Archer to guard Marauder, while keeping an eye on the remaining soldiers, two of which were close to him, and one near the edge. "Zhalia, what about them?" he asked, referring to the ice-encased ones.

"I'll release them, as soon as the rest of you-" she said, directing her words to the remaining soldiers. "-gather over there; you've lost this one."

There was a few moments of silence, then they reluctantly complied. Den slowly watched the one near the edge as he (wait, scratch that; she) went along, wary-

-until the ominous cracking quickly changed things.

It happened in a flash: the small-scale rumbling startled every able to feel it, then the soldier Den had been watching lost her balance, then - oh god - she fell over the edge. He hurtled himself at the edge: _"Spidertouch!"_

A vicious yank in his shoulder made him cry out, but at least he'd succeeded. "Zhalia, help me!"

She tried to, but then Cursed Archer fell, knifed by Marauder, with his own burst of light returning to Den (who grunted). In addition, the few remaining Blood Spiral soldiers charged forward, making her raise her fists with a small grunt. Marauder flourished his blades a bit-

SMASH!

Marauder twitched, part of his body now under Gar-Ghoul's foot.

Gar-Ghoul unfurled his wings and roared, a fearsome presence that halted the soldiers, turning his head with a snarl. His breath caused fragments of ice to form beneath their feet, making them back up hastily. In addition, Kaioh appeared from the side, still holding up Midnight Rook (who looked considerably more scratched up from his efforts). But not for long, as Midnight Rook vanished in a burst of light, his grunting owner holding up the amulet.

Zhalia no longer cared though; as soon as Gar-Ghoul halted the soldiers, she'd ran over to Den, holding onto him. she was quickly holding onto Den. "You okay?" she asked quickly.

"I will be, but I need help hauling her up" he said, grunting as the pressure slowly increased; soon he might dislocate his shoulder with the added weight.

She glanced back. "Kaioh!" she called, the Titan turning his head. "Den needs your help; pull up the Blood Spiral soldier he's got snared!"

"What she said!"

He did as asked, standing by the edge and snapping his whip, wrapping around the soldier. A few yanks later, she was up, shaken by the near-fall and sullen about the rescue, but otherwise well.

"Over there" Zhalia ordered, all patience gone. "That goes for all of you!"

 _"Gar-Ghoul"_ she thought at about the same time. _"Unfreeze the soldiers; let them go."_

The Titan growled, obviously displeased; she merely smirked, mentally telling him she understood, but it was the right thing to do. With a small noise, Gar-Ghoul turned toward the frozen group, then his eyes started glowing slightly... and the quiet-but-steady sound of dripping water soon followed, growing in strength and repetition. It took a few minutes, during which both sides watched this, but keeping an eye on each other. When Gar-Ghoul finished, the previously-frozen soldiers twitched back to life, many of them shivering heavily. Somewhere in the process, one of the soldiers recalled the twitching Marauder out from under Gar-Ghoul's foot.

"All right, we're letting you all go" she said grimly. "It's your last chance; I suggest you take it before we change our minds."

With the same reluctance as before, the soldiers left down the mountain, though a bit slow because they had to support their comrades. She watched suspiciously the entire time, noting how even with her demonstration, they weren't putting up a fight to stay and crush them. Even with (potential) orders to do similar things, like Sophie mentioned in her fight with Kiel, it still didn't strike her as right. Within two minutes though, the soldiers were gone, after which time they called back Kaioh and Gar-Ghoul, respectively.

"You know, for a moment there, I thought you might have left them like that, or worse" Den said, rather subdued, 'pushing' his shoulder several times to make sure it wasn't dislocated.

She didn't answer at first. "If I was still in the Organization, perhaps I would have" she said faintly. "I didn't think the freezing effect was gonna be that severe though... still, I intended to thaw them out from the start."

He made a sound as he worked a kink out with his shoulder, but she wasn't done; "And you did well, saving that soldier by instinct" she said approvingly, before crossing her arms. "It's surprising though, considering what you think of the Blood Spirals."

Den was silent for a few moments, before he sighed. "Yeah, I hate them, because they're a bunch of bullies" he said, adjusting his jacket and everything. "They nearly took my brother from me. Letting one die though in an accident when I could have done something... I couldn't live with that. Most of them are just soldiers, doing as ordered; even they wouldn't deserve it."

"Protecting your brother raised you with strong morals" she answered, fainter.

"Thanks" he said shortly, then finished the adjustments. "So, uh, we finding that Nexus or what?"

She nodded after a moment, leading the way. _"I can't help but be a little envious of you, Den"_ she thought to herself.

* * *

 _Amazon Jungle_

 _South America_

"Anything down there?" Lok called, currently on the top of a thick branch.

"Nothing yet" Sophie called from the ground, some twenty feet below and off to his northwest, with Cherit flying around beside her. "But we've covered miles of this area on foot - you by tree branches - and it doesn't seem to be getting anywhere."

"Yeah" he breathed, then he whistled a bit, and Springer instantly came across to him, via the tree branches. "Okay" he called down. "I'm gonna send Springer down with you, and he'll help you track down there. I'll take Kipperin and do a sweep of the areas we've searched already, this time by air, before doing a similar sweep in this smaller area. Maybe that'll reveal something we missed."

"Sounds good to me. Meet us by the coast; I'll send up a Boltflare to mark our position."

"Got it" he called back, then turned to Springer. "You heard all that, little guy?" he asked gently, scratching his ear slightly.

Springer gave a little nod, and a smile that looked like two U's put together; after that, he climbed his way down the tree, meeting up with Sophie.

"Now then-" he said, pulling out Kipperin's amulet from his pocket. _"Let's go, Kipperin!"_ he called out.

Kipperin burst forth from his amulet, but he did more than that; he intertwined himself with Lok, wrapping his wings around Lok's arms, his form stretching across his back and legs, and finally covering Lok's head like a mask. Due to instinct, Lok stretched out his new wing arms, and laughed to himself; it never got old, this particular Powerbonding. He enjoyed it a bit, then backed up slightly, getting a running start and jumping off the tree. The wind seemed to pick him/them up and guide them across the skies.

He took a moment to appreciate it all. He vaguely remembered they'd taught a small session of how birds flew, how they were built for it, and how they used the wind and the currents to fly... it had all gone over his head, as had a number of other things. But being Powerbonded with Kipperin, a natural flyer who used all those methods, he suddenly understood them because he could _feel_ them in use. He could feel them using updrafts to stay aloft, the different pressures and what they meant, etcetera etcetera. _"I don't think I could explain this in words if I tried."_

Still, it was odd that he physically flew them, yet it was Kipperin's knowledge that allowed him to do so.

He shook himself out of it; he had a job to do, and he angled himself to search where they'd walked before. It would take some time, but they had until the end of the day to get back.

He quickly scanned the nearby area, then muttered to himself, _"Rearview"_. His eyes briefly glowing blue, he took a similar quick look 'behind' him, then turned off the spell to get his bearings back. He flew on, scanning across the forest in this pattern, being careful about where he flew; you only ran into something using Rearview once.

 _-quite a few hours later-_

Lok flew toward the coastline, guided by both sight and smell. Still, he could feel Kipperin's muscles straining; he'd have to rest soon- BOOM!

He quickly looked in the direction of the sound, and found an enlarged Boltflare spell in the air, slowly dissipating as he watched. He angled toward the spell, but was unable to keep himself from aiming toward the ground, due to Kipperin's straining muscles. Lower and lower they flew, until he could literally reach out and touch the ground below him, where he started preparing himself. Upon landing, first he slipped a bit on the footwork, skidding forward nearly out-of-control, but a tree 'stopped' his progress. Rubbing his throbbing nose, Lok shook himself out of it, holding up Kipperin's amulet: "Take a good rest, my friend" he said, and with a flash of light, Kipperin returned to his amulet.

Still, his nose didn't seem to be too bruised, so he made his way through the remaining few feet of jungle.

His shoe hit sand instead of grassy ground, startling him a bit, then he remembered that they were meeting near the coast. And so he stepped out of the jungle.

A beach met his view, filled with light yellow-colored, almost white sand, stretching out to either side almost as far as he could see. The ocean itself was very blue, reached even further out, and gently washed across the boundary every few seconds. Sand and water weren't the only things here though; there were a large number of grass growths in places, some bigger than others, as well as misshapen logs scattered around. Sophie sat on one of these logs, a Cypherdex sitting in her lap and Cherit by her side, waving when she saw him.

Lok smiled a bit, hurrying toward her. "Any luck?" he asked.

Sophie glanced down, then sighed. "None" she said sadly.

"Nothing but trees, clearings, and two ordinary waterfalls" Cherit added, but he tried to cheer them up. "But this place is very beautiful too."

"Yeah, it is" he agreed, looking around. "I had no luck either, so, go ahead and mark it down as negative."

"I'm so sorry, Lok" she said, even as she did so on her Cypherdex, before putting it down at her feet (where it promptly vanished). "I know you want to find your father- wait a minute, is that a bruise?"

Lok chuckled slightly, slowly sitting beside her. "Yeah, Kipperin got tired flying around for hours, and the landing didn't quite go smoothly" he said a little sheepishly, even as Sophie brushed a few fingers over his nose. "But it's nothing serious; I'll be fine."

She smiled a little, and they sat there for a few moments, still recovering from their trips. Cherit, for his part, was rapidly noticing that they were forgetting he was still there. He opened his mouth to say something, quickly thought it over, repeated the open mouth gesture... then he made a small sound as he decided not to. Who was he to interrupt a potential romantic moment? Better to turn around and pretend he was deaf or something, right?

"You know, we really should come back here sometime" Lok said softly, sorta to himself. Still, when Sophie looked at him surprised, he added: "Not for a mission or anything, I mean like, just the two of us."

Her expression brightened a little. "That sounds really nice" she started, then she gave him her trademark playful look. "But is this because you want to see me in a swimsuit?"

He blinked once, then he laughed, rubbing his head. "I wasn't thinking about that at all" he answered, "I was thinking more along the lines of a picnic, something simple."

"Well, I was kidding" she said after a moment, then she hummed. "But still, that really does sound like a good idea, Lok."

He nodded, smiling. "Thank you" he answered, then he gave her his own playful look. "Besides, I've seen you in a wetsuit before, several times actually" he continued, then shrugged his shoulders. "Same thing, basically."

"Oh really?" Sophie challenged, hands on her hips.

In a sudden spur of instinct, he pulled her right beside him, resulting her in instinctively putting her hands on his chest + letting out a sharp sound in surprise. He smiled, looking at her for a few moments before he playfully added, "Really."

She slowly softened, gave him a little giggle as one hand came up to his cheek. "You're unbelievable, you are" she said back, but she closed her eyes, leaning in toward him. He easily did the same, and they kissed, while his hand gently played a little with her hair. But as the seconds went by, Lok became aware of something; even though it was the simplest kind of kiss, Sophie showed no desire to withdraw just yet. And after that realization, he went through the 'should-he-make-the-first-step?' thought process, and decided it couldn't hurt, as long as he went slow.

Holding Sophie close, lightly stroking her hair a little at the ends, he started opening his mouth in the kiss.

Sophie didn't make a sound like he thought she would, but slowly mirrored his example.

Well, so far so good, best not to push it, Lok subconsciously decided (it was hard to hear yourself think during these moments). Not too different, but still pleasant- Woah!

Sophie rather hesitantly touched the tip of her tongue to his upper lip.

Not only was he surprised, his heartbeat rose through the roof; he could feel it throbbing in his throat briefly. In addition, it sent a rush through his body, like he'd never felt before. And even though that rush was fairly mild, he found he really liked it when Sophie took the first step, especially when she surprised him in doing so - wow, the feel of her tongue against his lips was simply awesome. His hand moved up through her hair, now curling around the back of her head, holding her even closer in the kiss - something she enjoyed, if her caress was any indication.

Still, he wasn't inactive: after a few seconds of her tongue licking around, he slowly added his own. When her tongue touched his, in addition to the standard rush of (awesome) feelings, she briefly gasped from the surprise/pleasure. He actually found himself wishing she'd make that sound again.

After some amount of time, he felt the pressing need to breathe - he tried to ease it a bit, but it wouldn't go away.

Reluctantly, Lok pulled away with a breathy gasp, vaguely hearing Sophie do the same, both of them panting afterward. Because his eyes were closed, he didn't see Sophie's brief attempt to pull him back into the kiss.

After they recovered, they found themselves just looking at each other for a few seconds - then they slowly laughed, slightly red in the face. "Lok, that was amazing" Sophie breathed, hugging him. "Even for a first time, doing that."

He hugged her back with a bit of a chuckle. "I agree" he said faintly, not sure what else to say, but still kicking himself for not thinking of something cooler.

Sophie merely laughed again, and drew back enough to look at him. "We really should get back though" she said, standing up (he quickly following), fingers brushing against his. "And perhaps on the way back, we can discuss when would be a good time to come back here."

"Yeah, I'd like that" he answered, both of them walking, Cherit landing on his shoulder.

* * *

 _Unknown location_

Wind blew over the desolate landscape, currently empty of all life, except for the twenty-or-so Blood Spiral soldiers moving across it slowly; they weren't happy.

One of them, supported by two others, grunted. "Why do we have to suffer through this? I didn't count on getting frozen!"

"Because it was what we were ordered to do" his companion said irritatedly. "And don't let Shauna or Wind hear you complaining."

"Still, it isn't fair; we're learning all these new spells, and we can't even use them!"

"Because those are for the infil-"

"Quiet back there!" their commander barked, "We're explicitly forbidden to mention anything about that until we're in place!"

Then she turned back to the front, feet away from an inanimate rock formation. "Here" she said shortly, walking up to it, then placed her hand upon it. After a moment, her Blood Spiral symbol glowed red (she grunted slightly), then the area around them began to rumble. No one was surprised at this, other than the slight instinct to steady themselves, or when the rock-face just seemed to melt away before their eyes. Without a word, their commander walked down the path, the others quickly following.

The entrance closed behind them just as mysteriously. The trip was mainly uneventful after that, simply going through dug-out caverns that were lit by red lanterns, then they entered the throne room.

"Well?" Shauna demanded from the throne itself.

"We intercepted and fought them, sir" the commander said, at attention. "As you ordered."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" the one who had complained earlier spoke up. His commander immediately whirled around, furious, but Shauna cut her off with a sharp command; if anything, she seemed amused and interested in this defiance. "Are you questioning me, soldier?" she asked, with a hint of danger.

"No, sir" he said. "I'd just like to know why our orders are to repeatedly fight the Huntik team if we're supposed to lose on purpose."

She stood up slowly, Wind glanced at her sharply, but she dismissed whatever he meant with her own glance. The throne room seemed to hold it's breath as she walked down the steps, standing before the unnamed soldier. "You wanna know why?" she asked dangerously.

He smartly didn't answer; Shauna had made it a rule not to answer trick questions.

"Because it's all part of the plan, soldier" she said, with some tiny measure of approval. "To let their guard down, to let them think we've grown weak. Then when the time is right, we execute the next step. Now all of you, dismissed!"

They stiffly stood at attention, gave short bows and quickly left.

With a smirk, Shauna turned and walked back up the steps, where Wind still stood. "Do you think I was too hard on him?" she asked scathingly. He raised an eyebrow slightly, and she laughed. "Well, for your information, I think I wasn't nearly vicious enough! But then again, injuring otherwise useful Soldiers won't further the Betrayer's goals."

When she said 'goals', he slowly glanced behind him, where the pool of water lay.

At that moment, Kiel walked in, leading her to growl for interrupting. "What?"

"When do I get to fight the Casterwills again?" he demanded. "She was right there in the Amazon's, and you just stood there-"

"It's part of the plan, Kiel" she said silkily, hiding the steel. "If our soldiers set out every time they went somewhere, they'd suspect we knew their every move."

Kiel grunted. "But we do, by all accounts."

"Correct" she agreed, smirking. "But if they knew that, our plans would be slowed, or even worse. You can never give these "heroes" an inch to work with."

"Fine, fine" Kiel said angrily, barely in check. "So I can't attack the Casterwill girl every single time. But there are other Casterwills out there in the meantime! What about them?"

"As much as I'd enjoy their suffering, attacking them would destroy the illusion we wish to create" she said, her voice becoming dangerous. "And I think it'd be best if you held your tongue."

"Or what?" he challenged. "You'll put me back in Shadowlock? You still need me-"

Suddenly, a black tendril extended and covered his mouth, and no matter how hard he struggled, it was impossible to move from that spot.

But the tendril had not come from Shauna; it came from the pool behind the throne...

"No" Shauna said dismissively. "I don't believe we need you. But you're fortunate our master has plans for you, Kiel."

Kiel said nothing, though he couldn't even if he wanted to. Seconds after he subsided, the tendril vanished, leaving Kiel to wipe at his mouth in disgust. "Do I have the right for that information now?" he grudgingly asked. "To actually see The Betrayer in person?"

Shauna was silent, then stood up. "Get up here" she snapped, still dismissively as she turned toward the pool, even as Wind silently did the same. Kiel soon joined them on her other side, and together they looked at the pool, where a shadowed figure lay at the bottom.

"That's him?"

"Yes" she spat. "During your absence, The Betrayer manipulated Dante Vale's team into unlocking the Spiral Mark with the Willblade, and he regained his power and his body. However, Dante and that cursed boy turned the tables on us, stabbing The Betrayer in the back!"

"He let his guard down that badly?" Kiel asked, disgruntled again.

The water began to ripple in response to those words, but nothing had disturbed the water.

Shauna glared at Kiel, only her orders keeping her in check. "The Betrayer is still alive, his spirit living in the body you see below – his original body no less, the previous one having been a copy - but his power is once again severely weakened" she continued through her teeth. "He is greatly angered, but remains patient and cunning. We will wait until the time is right, then we will strike against anything in our way!"

Kiel considered all this, then he laughed. "I'd rather we didn't have to wait, but that sounds pretty good to me" he said gleefully. "Not only does it mean I get to hunt Casterwill's, I'll get to kill their protector, who's also that girl's little boy toy. Torturing him will break her to pieces, just like burning her home down did!"

"Good, good" Shauna breathed, approving of his bloodlust, though still disgruntled. "You'll fulfill The Betrayer's orders very well!"

Even as the two of them laughed over Sophie Casterwill's imagined misery and torture, Wind kept his gaze on the pool.

A red glow came from where The Betrayer's eyes had once been.

Wind looked for a few moments, glanced at Kiel for a split-second, then he nodded almost imperceptively.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **And now their mission is official; it's a race to find another Nexus. But of course, they won't find it right away, so things happen in the meantime.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	5. Emotional Surge

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **For the Huntik team, the search for Nexus locations continues, taking them to locations around the world. But yet again, Den and Zhalia have to deal with a group of Blood Spirals. Zhalia Powerbonds with Gar-Ghoul, and the battle turns with little effort, despite a close call with a soldier. Lok and Sophie deny a location as the site for a Nexus on the other side of the world, but share a close moment together. Yet behind the scenes, the Blood Spirals simply watch from the shadows...**

* * *

 _"Emotional Surge"_

 _Episode 57_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

"Hey, come on Cherit!" Lok said with a grunt, just out of reach. "You know I can't jump that high!"

"That's why it's a challenge, Lok" Cherit said easily, flying up near the ceiling.

He grinned. "Okay, if that's how you want to play it!" he said, then he jumped up on the couch, jumping toward Cherit. Cherit gasped in his surprise and narrowly avoided it, then he preceded to fly away, but lower. Lok chuckled as he chased him, going a bit fast.

"Lok, you can't be on the couch!" Sophie called out to him, in the middle of helping Den with homework, half-standing. "Hey, get back here- Ugh" she started, then sat back down with a grunt, fingers against her forehead. "Sometimes I think he only hears me half the time."

"He's having fun Sophie" Den said mildly, raising his hands. "And no one likes to be reprimanded."

"Right" she said shortly, sighing a little, then turned back to the papers before them. "But if he does it again, he's in trouble... now, you're confused about these equations?"

He passed a hand against the side of his hand. "Yeah, I have trouble with letters when it comes to math."

"We'll see about that" she said intently, picking up one paper in particular. "A simple one then: 3X = 5C."

He made a sound. "Both sides gotta be equal, right?" he asked slowly. "And does it matter if the letters match at all?"

"Yes, unless there's a line through the equal sign" she said patiently. "And somewhat, Den."

"What are you on about, Sophie?" Zhalia asked, who had just walked in, holding a cup of coffee.

Sophie glanced up at her, but mostly kept her eye on the work. "I'm helping him with his math homework" she said.

Den's focus wandered though: "Did you have to go through letters and equations in math?" he asked Zhalia, looking up at her from his seat (Sophie mildly rolled her eyes as she realized this).

"Nah" she said just after a sip, trying to make it sound composed. "Den, I was an orphan, just like you. Klaus, the man who took me in, gave me all the knowledge I needed to be an Organization member, and enough knowledge to work on my own. Advanced math was not one of those subjects."

"Lucky you" he said, his tone slightly dour. "Because I suck at this."

"Well-" Sophie spoke up, startling Den because her tone was hard. "You won't improve just sitting there."

He glanced at Zhalia, making a weak chuckle sound.

She smiled a bit. "Have fun, kid" she said, walking away, to Den's sarcastic "Gee, thanks."

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Zhalia sat alone on the couch, working on breakfast. So far it had been quiet, though recently Lok had ran into the room after Cherit (part of the challenge was endurance, apparently). Still, despite her cool demeanor, she was a little shaken inside. Talking about Klaus and her upbringing into the Organization brought up a lot of unpleasant memories; she could still see herself as a child, sobbing. Then she grunted and forced those memories down; letting herself be weak from unpleasant memories wasn't like her. Still, she was glad that the others hadn't seen her struggle like that, however brief + internal it was.

Just before her next bite, she stopped, then slowly put it down. Something seemed off... she couldn't put her finger on it, yet it also didn't seem to be dangerous - what was it then?

She slowly stood up, looking for signs of trouble, of any kind. Her gaze passed over the table, then she did a double-take and saw it: her Logosbook peeking out of her bag, with a faint blue aura on the visible section.

Zhalia looked at it carefully, then glanced around, making sure she wasn't being watched. Was Lok doing this? Wait, did Lok even finish his game with Cherit?

She stealthily moved throughout the house, and found Sophie and Den hadn't moved (still working on homework), but footsteps from the other room drew her gaze; Cherit flew through the hallway, chuckling even as Lok chased after him, shouting something about "I'm gonna end that draw, Cherit!".

Her eyes narrowed; Lok didn't even have his Logosbook on his person. She withdrew her head, going back to her spot and taking out her Logosbook.

Still, she looked at it for awhile longer. Two possibilities came to mind: 1) Someone had taken Lok's Logosbook without any of them knowing or seeing, or 2) someone else had charmed their Logosbook to connect to hers. And either possibility was suspicious, knowing the Organization or the Blood Spirals could pretend to be a friend in disguise, quite easily at that. Not to mention their recent experience with the Legendary Titan of Betrayal, Demigorgan, pretending to be Lok's Holotome (and indirectly his father).

 _"Still, I won't know just staring at it"_ she thought, then opened it. _"Logosbook."_

Written down in fairly big letters were two words, until they disappeared five seconds later, as per custom:

 _Hey there._

She raised an eyebrow; wow, they were going all out to be casual. Still, Zhalia sat down and started writing back.

 _Don't be cute. I know you're not anyone friendly._

The reply came back almost immediately; whoever was on the other end must have had a lot of patience, waiting who-knew-how-long for her reply.

 _No, but I never claimed I was._

She hummed, actually impressed a little. _"Touche"_ she thought, writing back at the same time.

 _Care to explain who you are then?_

Again it came almost immediately:

 _I'm Dante Vale, Zhalia._

She almost gasped, but she clamped down on the impulse with suspicion... then to her chagrin, discovered that the suspicion did nothing to mask the brief spike in her heart-rate. Still, her head briefly entertained the notion that this was Dante; it wouldn't be the first time. But with her previous Logosbook gone, she couldn't assume.

 _Right, and I'm supposed to believe that upfront?_

The reply: _Nah. In fact, I was about to say you want proof, as I could be an imposter._

 _"Kinda sounds like something Dante would say"_ Zhalia thought slowly, but she had to be sure, so she wrote down:

 _That's right, on both accounts. Tell me something that only I and Dante would know._

This time the reply took awhile, and when it did, the lettering was much smaller to fit on the page:

 _Remember the day Lok told us that Sophie used Findshape to fix Eathon's Holotome? Before he walked in, you came to me, wet from the rain and scratched up. I wrapped my coat around your shoulders, and we ending up hugging-_

By this point, she lost all ability at composure - she could actually feel her heart pounding in her chest, hard.

But he wasn't done:

 _And before Lok interrupted, you and I came very close. And on another note, when I cracked a joke about how many trenchcoats I burn through in my line of work, you gave off some very interesting giggles, much to Lok and Sophie's surprise (and mine, somewhat)._

Her fingers shook, then her Logosbook slipped from her fingers, which she desperately tried (and failed) to catch before it hit the ground. Breathing fast, Zhalia stared between it and her fingers, at a loss of what to do or think. Despite that, her emotions were running full-force, a nervous mix of fear and anticipation. She forced herself to get a grip, and only half-succeeded, but she managed to pick up her Logosbook again. Her hand shook slightly for the first second, but she wrote on:

 _That's... pretty convincing..._

Despite the fact he was writing by Logosbook, she could almost hear the faint amusement in Dante's tone:

 _Well, it's not like you're the type to share that easily._

 _And btw, did you drop your Logosbook?_

 _"Great, now he's psychic?"_ she thought after the brief jolt, but she didn't know if she was annoyed or simply unnerved that Dante could so easily figure that out. Then again, there was simply something about the way he did it that was appeal-

 _Why_ was she thinking that right now?

 _No... well, sorta_

 _But, Dante, I can't help but wonder why you'd contact me this way, because apparently it isn't urgent._

This time he took a little, but she didn't notice; she was a little anxious.

 _Well Zhalia, I think you and I both know how we feel toward each other._

From the sudden rush of heat in her cheeks, she could have sworn she was blushing, but it was hard to be sure.

It was a long time before she answered:

 _So... you're saying something should be done?_

His reply came back quickly: _If you're willing, Zhalia._

This time she was sure she blushed, but she managed to keep her hand steady as she wrote back.

 _Could I have a little time?_

Somehow, she could just sense Dante's chuckle before his reply came:

 _I'd be very surprised if you didn't. And it actually works out; I'm supposed to fax the new Nexus locations shortly._

 _How shortly?_ she wrote back, only for her to hear Lok's voice. "Zhalia? Where are you? Dante just sent us new locations!"

His last reply had his trademark snark: _Right about now._

* * *

 _Aconcagua, Andes Mountain Range_

 _Argentina_

Lok grunted, having nearly lost his grip on the rock above him, wishing his winter coat's hood protected his face more from the wind. _"At least Cherit gets to hide in my pack"_ he thought with some envy.

Below him and to his left, Den also struggled up, his grumblings almost lost in the wind. "First the Tibet Mountains, now the Andes" he said with some effort, pulling himself up. "What's next, Mt. Everest?"

"I doubt the Nexus would be at the top, Den" Lok called down, a little louder than usual to be heard over the wind. "It's not stable up there. And in most cases, we only go up about halfway, max."

Den sighed. "Doesn't make this biting cold any easier to ignore" he called back.

He sympathized; he might lose all feeling in his face soon here. "I understand, Den" he said, then in a more cheery tone. "But come on, about twenty more feet, then we'll be on solid ground again!"

Twenty feet went by rather quickly in their haste; Lok got himself up first, took a moment to catch his breath, then reached down to help Den up. And while Den recovered, Lok reached around to his pack, saying "Cherit? We're here!"

"Got it!" Cherit called back, his head and part of his body sticking out of his pack now, but nothing more. He would have trouble flying in the intense wind, hence why he was in Lok's pack. "Wow, it's really cold up here!"

Den chuckled. "You got that right."

Lok simply pushed his shoulder a little. "Come on, Den" he said, starting to walk, their feet nearly disappearing with each step because of the heavily-packed snow. Each step made a vague crunch sound, and they got fifteen feet away when Lok slowed; why did he have a strange feeling?

 _Crunch_

"Den, stop" he called in a hard tone, holding a finger to his lips when Den looked at him. Seconds passed as they stood there, hearing only the wind howling, both of them slowly glancing around. Lok glanced behind him, listening carefully as he moved his head, then with his eyes only, glanced back again quickly - a shadow that hadn't been there before was advancing on him, with a sword drawn.

He recognized that profile.

 _Crunch!_

He'd sidestepped in time, but the shadow sword left a very _real_ print in the snow.

"That's a Shadow Kulit" Den said grimly, both of them standing side-by-side, looking at the visible shadow. "But how he is invisible?"

"I have an idea" Lok said, then looked off behind the shadow. "We know you're there, Blood Spirals! Stop hiding like cowards!"

Whether it was because they intended to, or because of his insult, they actually responded: _"Shadowspell"_ a male voice called out, four Silent Soldiers appearing ten feet away, the visual being a twisted dark-red version of Thoughtspectre. Ahead of them, their Shadow Kulit - a humanoid Titan with a large Oni mask over it's head, making it appear to have the face of a demon - appeared as well, his bandaged hands holding both swords, while his similar feet were buried in the snow. And now that the spell had been undone, the footprints of the Titan had been revealed too; been behind them the entire time.

Den grunted in frustration. "Seriously, again?" he said, to Lok's confused look. "That's the third time in as many weeks; they seem to have it out for me."

"Well, they did try to recruit you" he replied grimly, keeping his eyes on the Shadow Kulit, in case he tried to attack again. "But why only four Soldiers?"

Den stepped forward, hand going to his pocket. "Probably a ploy to distract us" he said carefully. "How about I take care of them, while you keep an eye out for the inevitable back attack, or whatever they might be planning?"

He stepped back, nodding with a smile. "Just be careful."

Den smirked; _"Even the odds, Vigilante!"_ he called, the Titan's symbol appearing. From it came a black-cloaked warrior, who's face was hidden, but glowed green where the eyes were. Not all of him was black though; a previous Powerbonding had given him golden armor upon the upper arms and legs. With a flourish, Vigilante pulled the sword and dagger from his waist, the light glinting off their golden color.

"What are you waiting for?" a Soldier called out, the same one who had dropped their Shadowspell. "Get him!"

Shadow Kulit took that as a command, because he rushed straight at Vigilante, and it quickly became a flurry of swordwork. As the two Titans fought, the four soldiers came after Den, who started things off with _"Augerfrost!"_. The spell hit one of them, but he didn't stay down even as he fought the other three; _"Nullcurse!"_ one aimed at him, which he quickly met in mid-flight with _"Boltflare!"_. Den didn't stay still either; _"Hyperstride!"_ he called, rushing forward at high speed to kick another away. No one apparently noticed Lok standing off to the side, but apparently that was part of the plan - whatever that was.

But Lok wasn't inactive; he saw one Soldier trying to flank Den. "I don't think so" he said, then quietly, _"Darkfog"_ , then couldn't help but chuckle at the over-dramatic way the soldier flailed around blindly.

Just behind him, he felt Cherit move around in his pack, then he gasped. "Lok! Below you!"

He quickly turned, and saw what Cherit had; another group of Silent Soldiers climbing up the mountain. They had just pulled themselves up to a lower plateau-esqe area, but they weren't done yet, as they marched on. "What will we do, Lok?" Cherit asked, crawling out enough to get on his shoulder, but not daring to fly. "The Blood Spirals may not fight seriously, but we can't just let them climb up here!"

"Nor are we" he answered, then looked at the cliff they were trying to climb up. It would take quite some serious firepower to dislodge all that heavy snow...

Cherit seemed to know what he was thinking: "Lok, that could hurt them" he said worriedly.

Lok shook his head. "I'm not gonna bury them" he answered; he'd never sink that low. "I'm just gonna make it impossible to climb up. And I've gotta do it fast, before they get too high off the ground!"

Even as he said it, they reached the the cliffside about one hundred feet below, and started climbing.

"Serious power" he said grimly, pulling out a ring from his pocket. "Alright, here goes. And Cherit, be ready." An intense blue aura enveloped him as he held it up with both hands, the mountain around him appearing to rumble.

 _"Awaken, Legendary Titan of Summons, Quetzalcoatl!"_

Everyone knew of Quetzalcoatl, the 'feathered serpent' deity from Aztec mythology; and he fit that description to the letter. The main difference from the ancient depictions was his coloring - mainly different shades of blue. He also wore a golden headdress with numerous red attachments, two that hung much lower than the others. Floating down in a pillar of blue light, Quetzalcoatl hovered just above the snow, growling as soon as he saw the Blood Spiral soldiers.

"That's the spirit!" he called up. "But wrong targets; look below!"

The Legendary Titan's expression didn't change as he obeyed, but Lok got the impression he was feeling a little silly, buried amidst the instincts for battle. Beside him though, though buffeted by the wind, Cherit appeared tiny compared to the Legendary Titan. "Stop them from being able to climb up" he called, the two Titans immediately swooping down.

There were yells and shouts as the soldiers saw him, but Quetzalcoatl swerved upward before he came near, Cherit hanging on by the thread attachments - instead, he simply growled a little, he and Cherit in position.

He shot a blue energy beam over the cliffs feet above them, as did Cherit's own blast ("AHHH!").

Lok felt the impact all the way at the top, and rumbling, a small avalanche came down on the Blood Spiral group (barely having time to get yells out). When the dust cleared, he saw all of them, twitching but otherwise fine... no wait, a few of them managed to call out Titans just before they'd been buried (because they were bursting out of the snow).

Quetzalcoatl hovered above him, if he judged his shadows correctly, while soon he felt Cherit climbing up his leg (anchoring himself against the wind). "Let's take care of them" he said, pounding his fists, the Legendary Titan flaring his wings in response, and Cherit's response being less enthusiastic-but-determined.

...

Back to Den, he was side-by-side with Vigilante, somewhat out-of-breath but otherwise fine. Two of the soldiers seemed out of commission, one by his own doing through Spidertouch, and one still flailing about blindly ( _"Nice one, Lok"_ ); however, Shadow Kulit still remained in play, defiant to the end. And Den was a bit frustrated: these soldiers actually seemed to be fighting for real, in stark contrast to the last few times. Or was that simply the sheer power of their emotions fueling them? What was it with these orders!?

Either way, he was anxious to end this fight and start looking for that Nexus. _"Get ready"_ he thought to Vigilante, who acknowledged it with a slight glance. Then: _"Show yourself, Kaioh the Tracker!"_

His icon came through, then morphed in mid-animation.

Where his wooden 'clothes' had previously been the color of bark, now they had turned a bright gold, but retained the wooden qualities even as patches of dark-green moss grew in random spots. His belt and the band encircling his eyes were golden as well, but more striking were the dual staffs he wielded, both with small metal spikes at the bottom. An entirely new addition hung at his waist: silver nets.

"All right, that's what I'm talking about!" Den called out; meanwhile, he saw what to try out. "Kaioh, Ensnare!"

Kaioh impaled both staffs into the ground - for a moment nothing happened, until thick vines grew up out of the heavy snow. The two soldiers were almost instantly pinned to the ground (mouths quickly covered to prevent casting magic), and even included the other two, who were still otherwise out of commission. There was a problem with Shadow Kulit however: while he was initially snared, he fought and slashed at the vines ensnaring him, and he eventually won too - getting out of range of the vines.

Kaioh merely spun his staffs, now holding them so that the metal spikes were facing up.

Once again, the two Titans charged at each other, in a dual-wielding face-off. While Shadow Kulit hacked and slashed, Kaioh would carefully dodge the incoming attacks, and if an opportunity arose, try to stab or cut his opponent. Kaioh scored the first hit this way, but Shadow Kulit countered with a downward slash, which gave Kaioh no choice but to block with both staffs - even as he strained, the blade cut into the wood. The other blade swung, hit Kaioh in the leg, making him stumble. But with a show of effort, Kaioh threw him backward.

Shadow Kulit charged again, but Kaioh spun his staff and at the last moment, aimed the metal spike directly toward him.

They didn't have time to see the impact; Kulit vanished in a burst of light, making his owner grunt as he returned.

"All right, way to go Den!" Lok called, surprising Den a little.

"Lok, were you standing there the entire time?" he asked, only to be surprised when Quetzalcoatl hovered above Lok's head.

Lok briefly glanced upward, thinking. "Not the _whole_ time, but the last five seconds for sure" he said a little playfully, both of them chuckling. "Anyways, your battered friends have already retreated, so you'd best do the same" he continued, addressing the four bound-by-vines soldiers. Catching Den's eye, he nodded, leaving Den to grunt... but through him, Kaioh let the vines 'grow' back into the ground. Almost immediately after that, the Blood Spirals actually did leave, the two teens watching with some suspicion.

Why leave without any attempt to fight back? Especially since they'd otherwise been fighting seriously; it didn't make sense.

"O-kay" Lok said slowly, after the Blood Spirals left, then looked at Den (who slowly recalled Kaioh the Tracker). "Still, congrats on Powerbonding with Kaioh, man" he said, even as he recalled Quetzalcoatl, while his pack shaking a little showed Cherit was back in there.

"Thanks" he answered, pleased. "Still, how far away is the Nexus location?"

He looked up, trying to pull the hood closer to his face; this wind was really irritating. "About 200 feet up, more-or-less" he said, to Den's groan. "Ah come on, cheer up. We'll be done in no time!"

Den chuckled, even as he followed. "You're just saying that because you get to see Sophie sooner."

Surprised, Lok slowed. "Well, yeah, that's definitely a factor" he said, a little embarrassed. "But I also want to find a Nexus as quickly as possible, to find my dad."

"I'm just messing with you, man" Den teased, giving a slight punch on the arm. "I'm happy for you, if slightly jealous."

"Jealous?" he questioned, surprised.

Den gave him a somewhat sheepish smile. "Back at the orphanage, I had to look out for my brother and myself; there was no time to look or think about girls" he said. "Now though, seeing you two together brings that up sometimes, if only a little."

Lok immediately threw an arm over Den's shoulder. "You'll find someone, Den" he said easily.

Den chuckled even more. "Here's hoping" he said lightly. "Regardless, Zhalia never gave me that instinct, and besides, she was into Dante (Lok chuckled again). And I saw almost immediately that you and Sophie were a thing, even if not officially at the time."

"Hey, those things take time!" he answered, but embarrassingly, he couldn't deny it.

" _Sure_ they do!"

* * *

 _Near Micay Lopez_

 _Colombia_

Sophie sipped from the water pooled in her hands, on her knees besides the river. Directly beside her, Kelpie also sipped at the water, resting from having to carry them both across the gorge. She smiled, and gently patted his flank, soothing the aquatic horse Titan.

"Zhalia, how much of the area do we have left to search?" she asked, wiping her mouth.

"Well, if you don't count the smaller gorge two miles to the east-" the other woman said lightly, sitting on a rock, map in hand. "About half."

She sighed, looking down at her own reflection, and by extension, the dark clouds overhead. "There's been little indication of caves here" she said sadly, standing up. "And unless the Nexus is in plain sight, which I highly doubt, this place might be another negative."

Zhalia stood up, coming toward her. "It's not negative until proven otherwise" she said gently, in her own way. "We still have quite a bit of ground to cover."

Sophie took the map, looking it over even as she said "Yeah" in response; so far they'd covered the entire north side of this gorge, crossed the river, and them currently resting on the other side (marked out in crayon to show the former). Right now, they were very close to the right edge, which apparently included a waterfall. "If it's all right with you, can we search this small section first?" she asked, gesturing. "That way we won't have to double back."

"Easy enough" Zhalia said, picking up her pack and shouldering it. "Lead on."

"One moment" she answered, pulling out Kelpie's amulet. "We'll walk this short stretch, and let you rest. Return." she said to the Titan, who disappeared into a blue flash of light, returning to the amulet.

After that, she bent over and got her own pack, but a knot of worry remained. While unsure about it's sudden appearance, she was fairly sure it wasn't the worry about this place being negative; it was too strong.

"Something wrong?"

"Uh" she breathed, startled. She struggled to think of what to say next, but all that came out was "No?"

Zhalia briefly raised an eyebrow, then thoughtfully crossed her arms. "Even I can't believe that your 'fake Nexus' worry is this extreme" she said mildly.

"No, that's not it" she said quickly, then sighed. "Actually - it's Kiel. I just feel like he's here, watching me, waiting to strike!"

Zhalia considered this for a moment. "Well, I doubt he's actually here, but I understand the feeling" she said, glancing around the area, probably for signs of being watched. "Ever since recently, the Blood Spirals have literally been all over us. They either attack us directly, or just happen to 'conveniently' run into us in rarer cases. The only thing I can't figure out is their inconsistent battle tactics... what are they trying to do, other than confuse us?"

Sophie glanced down. "Well, inconsistent or not, the soldiers themselves aren't too much of a threat, when we put in the right effort" she said, knowing their capabilities; dangerous only if you let your guard down. "It's their elite that's another matter though, especially Kiel's recent behavior - it troubles me."

"Even if he's suddenly gotten smart, you can still take him" Zhalia snarked.

Interpreting it as her making fun, her response was a sarcastic "Haa haa", turning away.

"I'm serious, Sophie."

She paused, then slowly looked at Zhalia, whose look had eased. "Thank you" she said, meaning it. "And not just for saying I can take Kiel."

Zhalia tilted her head.

"For saying the Nexus location isn't negative, until proven otherwise" she reminded.

"Oh that?" Zhalia said, shrugging. "Think nothing of it."

Both knew better though.

/

About fifteen minutes later, they approached the right edge of the gorge, which ended in a waterfall that gushed downward about forty feet. Without a word, they set to work, familiar with the routine. Zhalia carefully scanned the cliffs of the gorge, while Sophie used her Seeker magic to check for hidden caves behind the waterfall. And funny enough, doing this reminded her of Lok's speculation that waterfalls provided a clue to Nexus locations. She wanted to believe him, if only to help him find his father, but she didn't see how it could be, at least logically. Still, supporting him was their encounter back in Spain, but it could be a coincidence until they made absolutely sure.

"If it's not here, it may not be here at all" Sophie mused to herself. "Assuming Lok's waterfall theory holds up."

"Whether you believe in the theory or not, you really want to find that Nexus" Zhalia noted.

"How can I not?" she questioned, but not really expecting an answer. "Lok is determined to find his father, and I mean to help him as quickly as possible. It just pains me to see him so frustrated, even if he hides it well sometimes."

Zhalia smirked to herself. "I'd be surprised if it didn't pain you, considering you're his girlfriend."

Sophie gave her a look. "Got a problem with that?"

"Oh no" she said 'easily'. "Just that you two seem to have no qualms about being publicly affectionate."

"Hey, I-" she said heatedly, but her mouth twisted on the words. "Well we-! You- Oh!" she said, furious at herself for reacting stupidly like that.

Zhalia's expression was nothing but amusement. "Okay, you can stop playacting Sophie" she said mildly, hand on her hip.

She drew a hand over her face, pinching the bridge of her nose briefly. "You're infuriating sometimes, Zhalia" she said in a hard tone.

Zhalia merely raised an eyebrow slightly.

Then Sophie relaxed, breathing out. "And yet, I don't know what we'd do without you" she said in a milder tone, walking onward, Zhalia following her after a moment. And after that, they searched mostly in silence - not exactly friendly silence, but not the uncomfortable kind either.

"Hey, Sophie?"

"Hmm?" she breathed, surprised as she stopped, looking back at Zhalia - who suddenly looked... uneasy? "What is it?"

Zhalia sighed, appearing both reluctant yet subtly curious. "Sophie, um... what's it like?"

She blinked. "What's what like?"

Zhalia sighed, looking even more reluctant. "Being in a relationship" she said, sounding somewhat forced.

Thoroughly surprised, she stared at her. "Zhalia, you don't mean about you and-"

"I'dratheryoudidn'tsaythatSophie!"

Zhalia's outburst surprised both women - almost immediately, Zhalia tried to back off, to ease things, glancing away.

Sophie opened her mouth, but stopped; this was hard enough for Zhalia to have asked at all. If she said the wrong thing, she'd make it worse, then Zhalia could very easily lose her nerve and change the subject. "...Zhalia" she started, after awhile. "You're the most composed woman I know."

Zhalia glanced down, arms crossed. "Your point being?"

She sighed a little, but smiled a bit. "If it's your image you're concerned about, being seen in a relationship, with anybody, it's _not_ gonna change our opinions of that. Perhaps a few teases here and there (Zhalia scoffed), but nothing more. And if it's about indulging your own hidden emotions-"

"I think I get it" Zhalia said quickly, trying for amusement (but more embarrassed). "'If I don't try, I'll never know', isn't that it? But you know it's never that easy."

"No" Sophie agreed, then adjusted her pack, half-turning. "It's not. But if you both want to, why stop yourselves?"

Zhalia's expression didn't change, but she'd expected that, turning away as they continued on their trip - Zhalia followed after several long seconds.

"And about your question-"

Zhalia's footsteps stopped, but she said nothing.

Not looking back, she still smiled: "Being in a relationship means you feel happy" she said gently. "That despite both partner's faults, you want to be around them."

She started walking again.

Behind her, unseen by Sophie, Zhalia's expression slowly changed.

/

Later, they'd moved away from the gorge/waterfall, continuing their search across the south end of the right side. So far they'd found nothing, but she kept searching, as she was determined to find another Nexus - across from her, Zhalia had composed herself from before, as expected. She hummed a little, moving her fingers across the rock face-

"Sophie?"

She instantly turned, recognizing that tone; she should see this. And soon she saw Zhalia's hand upon the cliff, which was shimmering- wait, cliffs didn't shimmer.

"An energy barrier" Zhalia said in an interested tone, staying still even as Sophie rushed over. "And in addition, some visual disguising as well."

Sophie cracked her fingers, "Not for long" she said confidently. _"Breakspell!"_ she called, and the blue energy collided against it, crackling until it disappeared - well, the visual disguise magic disappeared anyway. Another round of _Breakspell_ shattered the barrier itself, revealing an entrance that connected a dark tunnel. So dark in fact, that they couldn't see the end of it, only that it slanted downward for some length.

"Well that's not interesting" Zhalia said mildly, taking the lead.

"Just watch your step" she admonished, following behind Zhalia. "Last time me and Lok went through a tunnel like this, we almost fell before we managed to stop ourselves."

Zhalia glanced back at her, eyebrow raised. "Falling roughly seven feet is dangerous now?"

"The _point_ is to be careful" she replied, slightly annoyed.

Zhalia merely hummed and lead them on. The tunnel twisted and curved at three different intersections, but there weren't any crossroads or a sudden drop, thankfully. Then after about two minutes, they reached a large chamber: pretty standard cave, with stalagmites and stalactites evenly spread out, water audibly dripping off a few of them. But they could make out nothing else from the _very_ faint illumination, even with their adjusted eyes.

"This about the same, as the cave you found in Spain, Sophie?" Zhalia asked, glancing around carefully.

"Yeah, but we could use more light" she said thoughtfully, before raising both hands toward the cave's ceiling. _"Sunburst!"_ she called, a bright yellow energy ball of energy streaking upward at high speed. It stopped suddenly inches away, then it's intensity brightened considerably, briefly forcing the two woman to look away. After that, there was great lighting on nearly every angle of the cave, which sorta made it difficult to judge depth (but that was a minor issue).

"That's new" Zhalia noted, looking at her. "However, _Boltflare_ would have sufficed."

Sophie scoffed. " _Boltflare_ is a general attack spell; it's lighting abilities are limited, yet handy in a pinch. This spell however was made for light, particularly environments that don't get much light at all, such as deep caves" she said, glancing up at it. "Seems to work great."

Zhalia merely looked around afterward. "So, anything?"

"Not yet" she said slowly, walking forward to get an unobstructed view of a different area. "Wait" she said, coming to at stop as saw it; an odd bunch of arranged rocks in a corner of the cave, with a worn-yet-obvious path leading in it's direction. _"Cyphercall!"_ she quickly called, holding the Cypherdex that materialized.

Zhalia stood beside her, looking at the oddly arranged rocks + the path. "This it?" she asked, to which Sophie nodded. "So, we just wait till this shimmering Nexus vision you and Lok saw appears?"

"Unfortunately" she admitted. "But we have no way of knowing when it'll appear, particularly since I can't sense it's energy for whatever reason. Plus it's random as far as I-"

A blinding burst of light cut her off, and forced them to instinctively cover their eyes.

When it dimmed a bit, Sophie looked back carefully, "That's it! That's what we saw!" she cried out, excited as she quickly got the Cypherdex recording.

Zhalia gave it a look-over. "Looks slightly different than the other one we saw, way back when" she mused.

"Well, almost" she answered, wondering how long this one would last. "This thing is less solid and more transparent, but it definitely _looks_ like a Nexus. And the last encounter only stayed for roughly fifteen seconds-"

It vanished just as she finished the word.

"...like that" Sophie said dourly, frustrated; she wanted so much to learn more about this phenomenon!

"Okay" Zhalia breathed in thought. "Wait, didn't you say you found the first... 'this' encounter by a waterfall?"

"Yeah, and?" she answered, her mind still on the Nexus disappearance.

"And, weren't we just by a waterfall before we found this place?"

She gasped as the fact came back to her mind. "That means Lok was right!" Sophie said, struck by this and excited again. "Or at least, he was onto something! I don't see how they could be connected, but still!"

Zhalia chuckled, already at the entrance to the cave. "You coming with me to report this or what?" she called, startling her.

A short trip through the twisting tunnel later, they approached the last turn, walking like normal. But as they walked, Sophie noticed something seemed slightly off about the ground, like it was somehow softer than when they came in. Then she heard it; a very slight splash when her foot came down, which slowly got both of them to stop. "What the-?" she asked, pulling her foot up and touching her finger to the bottom of her shoe. It came away wet from rainwater.

"You hear that?" Zhalia asked, and while Sophie had to listen hard, she did; a sort-of dull roar.

And her spirits started sinking when she realized what it meant; some of the world's heaviest rain-fall was pouring outside now. "The rain is sliding down the tunnel" she said heavily. "We're gonna get soaked-"

/

 _Outside Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

"-and we did" she said, trying to ignore the rain falling on her; they did not pack an umbrella unfortunately, and using Armorbrand/Honorguard had only lasted so long. "Twice!"

"I know you're annoyed" Zhalia answered, then she produced the keys and started working. "But we're in."

Sophie hurried in, only to nearly run into LeBlanche. "Oh, sorry LeBlanche!"

"Didn't you pack an umbrella?" he asked in worry, even as he called for extra-large towels, ignoring the large stain on his clothing.

She made a sheepish sound. "By the time we figured that out, we were on the plane to Colombia, and there were no emergency umbrellas" she said nervously, shivering from the rush of warm air against her cool body. LeBlanche simply shook his head with a fond smile, took one of the towels that arrived and placed it around her shoulders (another arrival doing the same to Zhalia), as well as made sure she dripped onto the welcome rug. They both looked up even as footsteps came speeding toward them.

Lok skidded slightly from around the corner. "Sophie, I'm glad-" he started, before he noticed she was soaking wet. "Are you okay?" he asked in worry, rushing over while LeBlanche and Zhalia discreetly made themselves scarce in the background.

"Well, uh" she stuttered a bit, embarrassed to be seen like this, quickly brushing a few clingy strands away. "Just soaked to the bone, and annoyed by it, but yeah."

He made a sound, then hugged her, much to her surprise. "I'm glad that's all it is" he said in relief when he pulled back, shirt now wetter from the hug. "I'm afraid you might have been attacked or something."

"With a hose?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"With Seeker magic!" he countered, but a little playfully. Then he briefly glanced down at her, and quickly away again, cheeks reddening. "Uh, anyway, how was the mission?"

"I'd tell you, but I'm far more interested in what that look of yours meant" she said slowly, a little amused to see him so fidgety.

He gulped, close to blushing. "You're really gonna make me say it?" he asked faintly, a little reluctant and a lot more nervous. So he sighed when she nodded, and looked at her. "Well, uh, Sophie" he started slowly.

"Yes?"

This time, he did blush, even as he slowly lost the nerve to look at her. "Seeing you completely wet like this" he said, with a tone of disbelief that he was saying it aloud. "I'm finding myself - well, uh, very _attracted_ to you right now."

She gasped, but not just the sheer surprise/shock; at the sheer _thrill_ that went through her body at his words, like electricity. She found herself unconsciously glancing away a little, blushing without much effort and panting as well. As a result of this, she didn't clearly hear anything Lok said directly afterward. She hadn't felt this strong a reaction since his plans about the future.

Meanwhile, the 'view' slowly panned away from them (and outside the building):

"Look, I know it's really weird, but that's how I feel! But if it's wrong, just tell me! Come on, Sophie; tell me! Sophie!"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Mainly more of the same... and an amusing reminder that Lok is a teenager, able to see more than puzzles and riddles on occasion lol.** **Don't worry too much though; next chapter is where things 'really' start to change.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	6. Sadistic Choice

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The search for a working Nexus continues. Den is harassed by Blood Spiral soldiers yet again, and though he and Lok win the battle, the Blood Spiral's persistence and strange battle tactics have not gone unnoticed by the team. In Colombia, Zhaila and Sophie both have other things on their minds, but a little advice may help, particularly for Zhalia. The two women also manage to find another shimmering Nexus vision, and though they were unable to obtain more information, the pattern for their locations is starting to come together.**

* * *

 _"Sadistic Choice"_

 _Episode 58_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

"How are things going, Dante?"

 _"I assume you mean the spell, not in general"_ Dante replied.

Lok chuckled a bit, sitting on the couch, his leg propped up on a pillow and in a makeshift splint. "Yeah" he answered, "Sorry if it bothers you though."

 _"Nonsense"_ Dante said lightly. _"But as for the answer, we've gotten a few leads on how to make it work, but it's difficult."_

"Working on it" Lok translated, but though he smiled, it was slightly sad. "I understand."

 _"But any progress, and I'll tell you right away"_ he reassured. _"Get well soon, Lok."_

"Will do!" he said semi-cheerfully.

The moment Dante switched off though, he sighed and looked at his leg. It wasn't serious, but it was still a stupid injury; a simple trip earlier this morning and he went flying. Then he when he tried to get up, his body slipped down the stairs, twisting his foot... Lok rubbed his back, which was still sore from that impact. "Why did this have to happen?" he asked the room, not expecting an answer. _"I mean really, I could be out searching if it wasn't for this! Still, I'm glad nothing broke, so that's good"_ he thought to himself.

Because of his thoughts, he didn't see Sophie come by until her legs entered his vision. "Hmm?" he breathed at first, looking up, "Oh, hey Sophie."

"I brought you a snack" she said, tossing it to him, which he instinctively caught with both hands.

He was slightly surprised, but he laughed it off, "Thanks."

She looked around twice then. "Where's Cherit?"

"Out delivering a message" Lok said lightly, leaning back. "He was both excited and fascinated by the "mundane" task."

Then Sophier stepped closer to him. "And the message was?" she asked, in a softer tone.

"Basically, the list of our most current reports, just sent airmail instead of digitally."

She giggled slightly. "Well, all joking aside, I also thought you might want to talk" she continued, sitting down beside him, very close.

He smiled, already feeling better. "About?" he asked a little playfully, arms behind his head.

She gave him a raised eyebrow, along with her playful look. "You know, just talk."

For a moment, he considered that, making a sound. "Well, there were two things I was wondering" he admitted, though a little uneasy. "But, they're both embarrassing."

She didn't say anything; her expression shifted, but she didn't appear unwilling.

"About yesterday" he started, looking at her. "I saw how you reacted, but I uh... well, I-"

Sophie glanced down, her cheeks turning pink, but she didn't fidget. "Well, I was certainly surprised, even a little shocked" she said uncertainly, which made Lok slump. "But that wasn't why I didn't reply; there was a different feeling there."

"Such as?" he asked, though still embarrassed.

Her fingers played with each other. "You know the kind of feeling that goes through your whole body, especially your spine?" she asked, looking at him, cheeks still pink. "That was what I felt."

Lok stared at her. "So..." he said slowly. "Sophie, you _liked_ what I said?"

The pink turned red, but she didn't look away. "Yeah, at least a little" she admitted, rather sheepishly. "I found myself moved when you indirectly called me 'hot' for being soaking wet, odd as that sounds."

He opened his mouth, intending to say that he'd said 'attracted' and not that, but upon further reflection that _was_ essentially what he'd said. "Now I'm even more embarrassed" he said, with the same tone, pretty sure _he_ was blushing now. "It was hard enough to say 'attracted', but I don't normally say anyone's 'hot', even indirectly. It isn't like me, even I admit that."

He expected Sophie to say he shouldn't be embarrassed, make a playful remark to distract them, or otherwise get them back to normal. Instead, her hand gently moved over his, drawing his attention to her soft smile, and the fact that she'd moved closer; her shoulder was brushing his.

"Well, you're right about that" she said gently, cheeks pink. "But I pushed you into saying it in the first place, so that's on me.

"Ehehe..."

She started getting even closer; he quickly got the idea.

He never got tired of the taste of Sophie's lips, or the way she touched his cheek with her other hand. The only difference was that he could still feet his splinted foot, which otherwise distracted him slightly. Their kiss was passionate, but short (by comparison), when they pulled away an inch to breathe. Now in a small mood, Lok slowly leaned forward-

Sophie gasped slightly when his lips found her neck, right side. "Lok" she breathed, sounding pleasantly surprised, hand now holding him on the back of his head, keeping him there - he didn't mind. And for the next minute or so, all that could be heard was Sophie's panting, and the fainter sound of his kiss's on her neck. And he thoroughly enjoyed kissing her neck, on and around her choker, even as he held Sophie close to him.

"Lok?" he heard, but somewhat muted; his senses were mostly focused on what he was doing, so all he got out was "Hmm?". "Lok?" he heard again, and more telling now because she was resisting his affection.

"Huh, what?" he asked, confused, at least until he saw Sophie pointing. Blinking, he looked in that direction - his Logosbook glowing faintly, a message waiting to be read.

 _"Aw man, now?"_ Lok grumbled in his thoughts, then realized he was still tightly holding onto Sophie, her expression reflecting what he'd just thought. So reluctantly, he pulled away and got up, "This better be important" he said as he approached his Logosbook very carefully on one foot, Sophie following close behind in case he needed physical support. _"Logosbook."_

The message?

 _Lok, we found a Nexus. At least, for a time._

It took awhile for this to sink in, so he was staring at the open Logosbook for a few seconds. Sophie meanwhile, saw this message with her own eyes, gasped and quickly looked up at him. "Lok" she started to say, but he'd already taken up the pen, writing back.

 _You did!? What happened!?_

He wished time would speed up as they waited for the answer, fingers tightening; so close yet so far! Then:

 _It's a long story._

Lok wanted to say he didn't care, that she should tell him now - luckily, he realized what he was thinking in time. He sighed, resigning himself to write down his reply and wait, but they beat him to it:

 _Me and Den are already on the plane. We'll be arriving in a few hours, max._

He waited, but Zhalia didn't say anything else, so he wrote down _"Understood."_ After that, he closed it faintly, and found Sophie looking at him. He sighed; "Sophie, I-" he found himself saying, intending to apologize, though exactly what he wasn't sure.

She cut him off by hugging him. "You don't have to say anything, Lok" she said, looking at him.

He smiled after a moment, and showed his thanks with a short, loving kiss. After that, they just held each other in a hug, Sophie gently resting her head on his shoulder.

He had to tell her to do that more; it was adorable.

/

Hours later, Lok was again sitting, struggling against his growing impatience. He knew he couldn't expect Zhalia and Den to just magically show up, telling him what he desperately wanted to know, and yet his heart wouldn't hear of it. What was it about the heart that defied the brain telling it what it should and shouldn't do? Sitting beside him, Sophie lightly ran a few fingers up and down his sleeve, which did help.

"I know how you must be feeling" she offered. "At least, partly."

"Frustrated, mainly" he admitted. "Because I have to wait... then again, this time does allow us to keep talking."

She smiled a bit. "That's the spirit."

He smiled back. "And since we have time, there's the second thing I've noticed: something I've always wondered, but never had the nerve to ask."

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

He briefly glanced down, getting his courage up. "When we're out in the field, doing missions and stuff-" Lok started, briefly making a sound. "when you're wearing your usual outfit, I can't help but notice that... well, 'it' s-seems to defy gravity, and reality."

Her cheeks turned pink even as her expression turned to surprise, then Sophie glanced down at her red skirt, which they both knew was what he was actually talking about. "Oh, well, Lok, umm-" she started, a little nervous.

The door opened, Zhalia and Den walking in, startling them. However, their surprise and potential annoyance died when they saw their state.

Den staggered a bit before he reached the other couch, falling into it with a grunt, then catching sight of his shirt and pulling a section of it for a better view. "Oh man" he said, looking at the dirt stains. Zhalia wasn't much better, also sitting down like it took some effort, but out of mental exhaustion and not difficulty; she said nothing.

"Are you guys okay!?" Lok asked, trying to stand, before a bad twinge in his splinted foot convinced him that was a _really_ bad idea.

Den looked toward him, still laying haphazardly. "Exhausted, scratched up" he answered faintly. "Yeah, we're okay... sorta."

"Well what happened?" came from Sophie.

Zhalia glanced down briefly. "It's a long story, as I said" she said grimly. "And Lok... you probably won't like it."

He stared at her, digesting the implications of that. "Okay" he said carefully, and with some reluctance as he leaned forward. "Go on."

"The mission was routine at first" she stated faintly. "But that all changed very quickly-"

* * *

 _Murray River, Australia_

 _Several hours ago_

The roar of the waterfall could be heard for some distance. And yet, it seemed small when compared to other examples... still, the two people climbing the cliff didn't seem to care.

"Find anything?" Den asked, sorta pressed against the cliff-side, suspended by his rigging equipment. He had to talk considerably louder than normal just to be heard.

"Nothing up above the waterfall" Zhalia answered, coming down to his level. "You?"

"Searched the entire left side, using the waterfall as a halfway mark" he said, gesturing. "Just gotta search behind the waterfall, and then the entire right side."

She chuckled slightly. "Should be better with the two of us" she mused, adjusting her own rigging.

"Yup" he said, doing two 'hops' down the cliff. "Should be a piece of-Woah!" Den tried to say, only for his feet to swing through a space that wasn't there (and nearly crushed his groin). So after the first two seconds where he desperately made sure he was okay, glad to be alive, he slowly got control of himself again. He was fine, the waterfall continued to roar behind him, but what were the odds of this happening?

Zhalia was quick to come down: "You okay?"

"Yeah" he said, with a slight hitch as he throbbed, slowly adjusting the rigging to lower him a bit more. "But what did I-? Oh great, an unlucky positioning of a cave nearly killed me!" he exclaimed, seeing a short-distance tunnel open into a space.

Zhalia hummed, even as she lowered herself to his level. "Well well well" she said in an interested tone. "Think we'll get lucky?"

He swung himself slowly, missed the tunnel floor the first time, then got a secure hold with his foot the second time. "I hope so" he said sincerely, undoing his harness carefully. "Not only will this make that little incident worth it, but Lok and Sophie will be thrilled."

"Well, here's hoping" she answered, doing the same, both of them finishing up quickly.

Just like the boring routine it was, they walked through the (very short) entrance, finding themselves in another ordinary cave, with the same old stalagmites and stalactites. "Looks like nothing" he said with a sigh, seeing nothing but ordinary rock.

"Don't think so" Zhalia said, much to his surprise. And in response to his questioning look, she pointed toward an oddly-grouped bunch of rocks, which strangely had a worn path look on one side.

"So?" Den asked, confused, but hoping this would work out (whatever it was).

"So, the last time I saw that kind of arrangement, consisting of arranged rocks and worn paths in the rockbed, was in Colombia" she answered. "And there was an apparition of a Nexus, which Sophie had a similar experience with."

He looked back with new interest now. "I heard about those incidents, if not the details" he said, slowly getting down on one knee, getting a closer look - it still looked like ordinary rock to him, but he was beginning to see the arrangement and the path, at least. "So this is it, huh?"

Next thing he knew, he was almost permanently blinded.

"Gah!" he cried out in pain, arms over his eyes; _that was bright!_ Beside him, Zhalia also covered her eyes, but there was a faint expectation in her look. However, instead of dimming, the glow only got brighter and brighter, forcing them to fully turn around to avoid hurting their eyes. And just as suddenly as it appeared, the brightness vanished, slowly allowing them to look back.

Den rubbed his eyes, and his vision got blurry as the tears streamed automatically, but otherwise he was fine. "What the heck-?" he asked, before he noticed what now stood at the center of the rocks. "...Zhalia?"

"Yeah?" he heard.

"Didn't you say they were semi-transparent?" he asked slowly, almost not believing what he was seeing.

She stepped closer. "The last few times they were" she said faintly, amazed.

Both of them just stared at the stunningly solid Nexus that now stood before them - how in the world had this happened?

After a few moments though, Den shook himself out of it, then plucked a pebble off the cave floor. "Zhalia, stand to the side of it" he said, then when she caught this detail, he continued: "We gotta be sure, so I'm gonna test it, alright?"

"Good plan" she approved, quickly getting into position, nodding after a moment.

He prepared himself, then chucked the pebble straight at the Nexus - due to his afterimage spots + tears though, his aim unintentionally swerved toward the edge of the thing. He expected it to rebound off, maybe with a few flashy effects... instead it simply _went right through it,_ shimmering at the impact point. And no matter how hard he strained his ears, there was no faint clink. "Zhalia?"

"It's gone, Den" she said, stepping toward him but looking at the Nexus. "I saw it enter the Nexus, but it didn't come out the other side."

There was a moment of silence.

"Does that mean...?" he asked, hardly daring to believe.

Zhalia slowly nodded, then her lip curved. "It's the real deal, Den" she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He slowly sat down on the ground, looking at the Nexus, simply in awe at the sight of it until a thought occurred to him. "Do you think it'll still disappear on us, like the others?"

"Frankly, I don't know; we barely have any info on these things in the first place" she said, crossing her arms. "The previous ones disappeared after fifteen seconds, which we're way past right now. I expect though, we'll have to go in eventually."

He looked up at her, a little shocked. "Wait, seriously?" Den asked, his heart pounding. The very idea of another dimension, full of Titans and such was cool to think about, but going there was another matter! "But, what if it does disappear on us, like the others but at a later time? How will we get back?"

"I'll make sure it doesn't" she said grimly, pulling out an amulet. _"Open the door between dimensions, Janusea the Gatekeeper!"_

First a blue dimensional doorway appeared, and through it came a masked humanoid Titan, long hair trailing behind her. Even as she floated, six orbs followed behind her and circled in a vertical pattern. Hovering, the Titan regarded the Nexus for a moment with intent interest, then turned to her Seeker with slight effort.

"We're going to enter Huntik through this Nexus" Zhalia told the Titan, but her tone understanding. "Your job is to keep this Nexus open and around for as long as you can. If the energy starts overloading, release your control until it's calmed down. And if all else fails and the Nexus is destroyed-"

She stopped for a moment, then lowered her pack, taking out something - Zhalia set it, then placed it on the ground, where it began to beep.

"If that happens" she continued grimly. "Take this device outside and wait. It will be a signal to the Huntik Foundation that we're in trouble."

Janusea nodded silently, then hovered before the Nexus, ready for the command - for Den's part, he was getting over his shock, as apparently they were going; then again, how often would they see another solid Nexus?

"Ready?" she asked of him, and he slowly nodded. "Go!"

With a glow, Janusea's orbs began to glow, then 'fired' at the Nexus, making the cave shake slightly as it manipulated the energy.

Together, they charged forward, 'hitting' the Nexus at the same time.

...

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

Apparently he tripped somewhere along the way, because the next thing Den was aware of, he was flat on his stomach. Still, all his muscles were working, and he could feel grass under his hands- wait, what was poking him? He quickly opened his eyes, found the big eyes of something staring at him, making him jump away with the standard "Aah!" yell.

After the initial surprise, he saw that the creature before him was a Springer, much like Lok's. The little guy wasn't really alarmed, merely curious, and his twin tails moved a bit as the little guy tilted his(her?) head. However, once he started getting up, Springer moved away fast.

He smiled slightly as he watched, then concern for Zhalia overwrote that, looking around quickly. "Zhalia?" he asked, until he saw her standing some distance away, back to him. "Phew, I thought you might have been hurt" he said, standing up quickly, going toward her.

"Not yet" she said, holding up her own Holotome. "Don't mind me though; I'm just recording."

With that in mind, he slowly took his first good look at their surroundings: they were standing on a small plateau overlooking the area, with the Nexus behind them, and a few sharp trees here and there. To their west lay a volcano, surrounded by a smaller wasteland and, bizarrely, a nearby forest that was experiencing heavy snowfall (what looked like it anyway). To the east was what appeared to be a desert, with a glimmering line of a river next to it. North and south simply were an expansion of the grassy plateau, at least for a mile or two in both directions. Btw, their directions were based off the Nexus landmark, so they were probably way off. Here and there, he saw faint flashes of light and/or small explosions, which upon closer view were Titan battles (most appeared to be simple contests rather than serious, or at least he hoped they were so).

And that didn't even mention the overcast sky above them, which was like an aurora across the entire sky... except with _much_ wider variations of color and patterns. And as he watched, what seemed to be a very loose 'flock' of Icarus flew across where he was looking, before he lowered his gaze to the ground. He was only just noticing it, but the ground (and the land features) all had the same 'haze' that made up the sky, except much more low-key. It was like there was a fine mist everywhere, but there wasn't...

"Man, this place is weird" Den said faintly, despite being a little impressed. "Extremely cool, but weird. Unless I have my geographic lessons completely wrong, this place simply couldn't have formed this way. And the colors-"

"It's an entirely new dimension, Den." Zhalia said, looking toward him - despite her composed tone though, she seemed internally excited too. "Things are probably as different as can be; that's why recording everything we can will help immensely. Plus, who says it actually formed over time?"

"Good point" he acknowledged, glancing down around the 'grass', which was bright yellow, yet seemed healthy. "Well, while you do that, I'll scout around" he offered, taking out an amulet. _"Show yourself, Kaioh the Tracker!"_

It was only after he said it that he got worried; amulets pulled Titans directly from Huntik to their world.

Would they actually _work_ in Huntik itself?

Several seconds passed with absolutely nothing happening, him holding the amulet - he was really thrown off. When they got to five, even Zhalia looked back at him, brow furrowed as she glanced around them. His worry turned out to be (mostly) groundless, for one stunningly-fast streak of light later, Kaioh the Tracker appeared beside him anyway. Den was just plain relieved; maybe he didn't understand how this all happened, but even if there was a delay, if it worked it worked, right? Anyway, he quickly said to Kaioh that they'd search for anything important in the area.

He was fully prepared to start running, until Kaioh tensed, making him stop. "What is it?" he asked, only to feel the answer go through his head: a really surreal vision of scents, tracks, and other things only a hunter could make sense of. At first, all he saw was the three of them, but then this 'Hunter Vision' rushed forward (despite them not actually moving). It went for some distance with a few twists and turns, but then it stopped and revealed a very large group: a lot of them, too many to guess this quickly, all appearing as human-shaped energy readings. But one person (who was bigger than the rest) gave off even bigger readings, and he could guess at the identity... still, his energy reading _paled_ in comparison to the three who accompanied him; three Legendary Titans.

He found a sweat running down his back before he could stop it.

Den quickly pulled away, getting himself back together.

"Den?" he heard faintly, but it got sharper after that. "Den, are you okay?"

He looked at Zhalia, "We're not alone" he said grimly. "The Professor is nearby, with hundreds of Organization suits, and three Legendary Titans."

Her eyebrows furrowed, then Zhalia nodded. "Understood" she breathed. "Up for some spying?"

After a moment, he breathed out. "Sure, why not?" he said, even as Zhalia closed the Holotome for carrying convenience, but still recording. "Alright, Kaioh let's-" he started, only to find his friend looking toward the nearest tree, though it was still a hundred feet away. _"Something wrong?"_ he thought to him.

He received another 'Hunter Vision' through their mental link; a faint energy trail linked to the tree, as if something had been there recently, but no longer was. He glanced up toward the tree, but true to the vision, nothing was there anymore.

 _"Maybe something was there, but it's not anymore"_ Den thought back. _"Still, stay on guard. Now, come on."_

Kaioh eased slightly, then he lead the way. Along the way, Zhalia mentioned a precaution to him-

Soon after they left, minutes passed as normal - until a pair of claws gripped the branches, completely silent even as the watcher folded it's wings. Amber eyes looked at the spot where Zhalia and Den had been, along with the path they had taken, then narrowed slightly.

* * *

"So that's the Professor?" Den asked, subdued even as he adjusted the binoculars. Zhalia merely nodded, both of them observing them from a sloped cliff, the grass around them mostly trampled. "Man, he's ugly" he said after a moment, watching him, but also occasionally looking at the 500+ Organization suits (who were definitely acting mindless, for the most part).

She chuckled quietly. "Believe it or not, he was originally a decent-looking guy from what I've heard" she said. "But his obsession with the Legendary Titans led to him being cursed. If it wasn't for him making a deal with Araknos, or getting the Amulet of Will, he'd be dead by now. The disfiguration was just an unfortunate side-effect, but don't let it fool you; he's very dangerous, and just as skilled. It's much farther along than I remember though..."

"Right" he answered, not doubting it. "But what's he doing with all these Organization suits? I know he outright kidnapped them, but for what?"

"My guess would be the standard 'taking over the world' plot" she said in an undertone. "Even though he's not completely right in the head, he's always liked to be in control, so this is probably just the beginning."

He gave off a small grunt as his answer, but mostly he was watching the Legendary Titans the Professor commanded - thankfully, once they realized he was after Lok's father, they had him study his profile along with the three Legendary Titans he'd once commanded. Araknos certainly looked the part of an upright spider thing, but the fact this Titan could control other Titans/humans made him think he was the most dangerous of the three (a sentiment Zhalia agreed with). Behemoth was a bit more odd, looking like a large humanoid hippo on two legs, with a large Earth globe strapped to his back. And while he was fairly slow, one blow could devastate all but their tougher defenses, he was absolutely sure. And Tao-

"Wait a minute" Den said tightly, looking around him quickly. _"Where's Tao?"_

"Damn it" Zhalia cursed, tensing. "Den, whatever happens, don't do anything until I give the signal."

"What's the signal?" he asked, inwardly wishing her newest precaution hadn't been necessary (and he sincerely hoped it'd work).

She crossed two fingers, to which he nodded, both of them making motions to prepare to run. But next thing he knew, something struck them from above and they blacked out, the blast masking any other sounds in the area.

Moments after this, Tao floated down from above, slowly picking up the two unconscious humans. He moved to return, but he snapped around, as if something was there. However, the sloped cliff was just as empty as before, and the grass was just as flattened as it had been. Tao regarded the scene for a few moments longer, then he turned and floated down toward the Professor's encampment. Silence passed afterward, during which time the 'flattened' grass moved, but not because of the wind.

Multiple sets of footsteps - not human - began to appear, going down the sloped cliff and following Tao.

/

Den stirred slowly, his vision not focusing at first- he seemed to be on his knees, arms held up and restrained. And when his vision did return, he got the impression of many pairs of feet, which he sorta thought was to be expected. Then he looked to his right, to find Zhalia much like he was: restrained, but completely awake. "Den, you okay?" she asked quickly.

He took a moment to respond, at least the first time. "I will be" he said faintly, until footsteps very near him got his attention. He found the Professor himself looking between them... he didn't know if Zhalia's 'further spread' comment was accurate, but the curse disfigurement certainly looked bad, especially up-close.

"Zhalia Moon" he said craftily. "You've been reduced to having a boy back you up?"

Den was offended, sure, but Zhalia spoke for him: "Den is part of the team now" she said coolly, in complete control. "He's just as strong as I am."

The Professor simply laughed. "You're a clever liar, Zhalia. You haven't changed at all; if only you'd stayed with the Organization" he replied, with a really unsettling grin.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked, amused. "The same old tired villain cliches?"

Den chuckled at that, which earned him a kick from one of the suits holding him (didn't actually hurt), and an irritated look from the Professor - eh, completely worth it. During this, he took the opportunity to discreetly scan the ground, which was perfectly flat with no dust to disturb; perfect really. "So 'Professor', what's the plan?" he asked, looking up. "Zhalia said you liked control, but how does our capture fit your silly plans?"

His eyes narrowed briefly. "You got a big mouth, Den" he said, then chuckled. "While entertaining, it won't mean much when you're under Araknos's control. A few of my friends are interested in seeing you, and they'd love to see you two fight your own team!"

"Friends huh?"

The Professor merely laughed again. "Oh you're not getting the answer out of me that easily, Zhalia!" he said, grinning. "I know exactly how cunning you can be."

He saw Zhalia's look, which was mixed - he wasn't exactly sure if he saw them correctly, but still. One part said that The Professor had already given her the answer, just by saying 'friends'. The other part though, said she was troubled; that he was supposedly too familiar with her practices, and too smart, to fall for that and let something slip... but he had anyway.

 _"Why?"_ Den thought, glancing at The Professor.

He wasn't sure; he didn't know this guy, but Zhalia and the others did, having experience with him in the past. For all he knew, this could be a random moment where he slipped-

"Then there's little else to say" Zhalia answered lightly, like nothing happened, discreetly crossing two fingers behind her back. _"Thoughtspectre."_

 _"Breakspell"_ The Professor cast without concern, the blue energy washing over the two of them - with no effect, except for a small tinging sensation.

Instead, the area _around them_ shimmered, revealing the previously-hidden forms of Gar-Ghoul, King Basilisk, Kilthane, Freelancer and Vigilante.

"Whoops" Zhalia added.

Den moved immediately, throwing off his captors with everything he had: _"Doublespell!"_ he cast, then aimed at the ground. _"Darkfog!"_

The resulting explosion of fog cast a lot of confusion, allowing him to turn right around and run. _"Hyperstride!"_ he called out, hearing _"Shadowspeed!"_ from nearby- then he burst through the fog, aiming himself toward the plateau they came from. But he looked back and much to his shock, three-quarters of the Organization suits' had body parts turned to stone, mainly arms and legs - King Basilisk hovered nearby, lethargic and exhausted. The other Titans had retreated a bit, but they were standing their ground, buying their owners time to escape.

He grunted, wishing he could help them, but focused on moving forward; they couldn't take The Professor, three Legendary Titans _and_ five-hundred-plus brainwashed Organization suits on their own!

They got about halfway before things went wrong - a burst of light caught up with Zhalia, even when they were traveling at extended Hyperstride/Shadowspeed bursts. "Gar-Ghoul" she breathed, somewhat anguished. "That's not good!"

He tried to respond, but Den could only grunt when _both_ Freelancer and Vigilante returned to him at the same time, draining his energy. Feeling that touch of fear returning, he tried to go faster, as much as possible. Still, even having not faced one before, he didn't know Legendary Titans could take them out _that easily!_ King Basilisk and Kilthane returned to Zhalia shortly afterward though, making her grunt (and similarly freaked on the inside; okay, so this was worse than the norm).

Their energy nearly ran out, but they were twenty feet away from the Nexus, so they had to settle for on foot... until they were stopped in their tracks by a shimmer of energy appearing directly between them:

 _"Skingrip!"_

Both of them grunted as they were wrapped neck-to-leg by energy threads. He in particular wanted to curse; they were so close!

"Clever" the Professor admitted, though grudgingly. "Lesser fools would have fallen for that, but I'm not so easy!" he claimed, holding up his hand. _"Rippleburst!"_

Den struggled, desperately trying to get out of this straight-jacket, think of a way to save their butts, or both at once! Meanwhile, the Professor's spell rushed at them with tremendous speed!

There was an eagle-esque cry.

What seemed to be a blast of wind struck, knocking them all off-balance and throwing off the _Rippleburst_ , enough that Zhalia got out of the way in time. Den felt the spell pass over his head as he fell, making the hairs on his neck stand up, but he also saw a winged Titan launch itself at the Professor as a blur. And with his attention otherwise engaged, the Skingrip dissolved, and Den quickly forced himself out of it. Getting his wits back quickly, he stood up but Zhalia was faster, taking his wrist and pulling him forward desperately. He barely got anything, but he got a sense of them rushing toward the Nexus-

...

 _Murray River, Australia_

-next thing he knew, they were in sudden darkness after a bright light - wait a minute, the cave: they were back!

"Oh man" Den breathed, breathing heavily on the ground. "That was-"

"Den, stand back" she said in a hard tone.

The intensity in her voice startled him, enough that he flinched. "Zhalia?"

"Now!" she yelled.

Now truly shaken, he scrambled to his feet and got as far away as possible, even as she put a fist near her heart. "Forgive me, Lok" Zhalia breathed faintly, then she aimed both hands straight at the Nexus:

 _"Darkvoid!"_

A black hole formed underneath the Nexus, angry red currents swirling around it, the noise unnaturally guttural as it ripped through the air. The cave itself began to shake violently as the spell wrecked it's influence, both stalagmites and stalactites breaking off and being sucked in like toothpicks. The Nexus itself withstood it at first, then crystalline creaks were heard, with cracks soon following (glowing down the fractures). With a mighty crack, the Nexus shattered into a million pieces - but the escaping fragments were sucked in before they got far. Zhalia struggled to turn it off, but it didn't go down without a fight - finally though, the black hole disappeared, the ground where it had been completely unaffected.

She staggered, breathing heavily.

Some eternity later, Den slowly stepped beside her. "Zhalia... what did you do?"

Even with his attempt to hide it, she heard the reproach in his tone as well as general 'What-the-hell?' motives.

"I made a choice" she said quietly, still looking at the spot where the Nexus had been.

He got right in her vision, furious. "You didn't even try to find another way!" he yelled, then gestured behind him. "That could have been our only way into Huntik!"

"There wasn't time!" she responded bitingly, already feeling bad enough. And when Den opened his mouth again, she was quick to retaliate: "Would you rather have let the Professor loose in our world? With three beefed-up Legendary Titans?"

"He couldn't possibly have followed us without Janusea-!"

 _"Would you have taken that risk!?"_

Her question stopped in his tracks, and he slowly looked down, his face working. He didn't speak for a moment, then: "I still think there should have been another way" he said quietly, a statement. Then he turned and walked outside, ignoring Janusea, who floated just away from both of them.

"...There wasn't" she said faintly, long after he walked away, vividly remembering how the pebble had passed through before. She slowly turned to go, Janusea glancing at where the Nexus had been, then following behind her Seeker.

Neither of them noticed the circular device attached to Zhalia's right boot.

/

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

The Professor started to finish his raging, the three Legendary Titans of Body, Mind and Spirit simply overlooking, somewhat blankly at that. Along with their helpless guest, who only moved one wing; the other was completely still, as if unable to move it.

"Damn those two, damn them all" he cursed tightly, standing, turning around slowly. "You belong to Dante, don't you; you have that same look in your eyes."

Solwing merely screeched defiantly.

He approached slowly. "I don't know exactly how this happened, and I really couldn't care less" he said brusquely, palm starting to glow. "But if you insist on getting in my way, I must do something about that."

Solwing moved his 'still' wing at high speed, blasting the Professor with a huge burst of wind, staggering him. After that, Solwing took off with difficulty, but successfully. He didn't wait even as the Professor ordered his Legendary Titans to get him, dodging Seeker spells and Titan magic with practiced movements.

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Back to the present_

"I'm so sorry, Lok" Zhalia breathed, looking down. "I'll understand if you can't forgive me."

The room was silent for a few minutes. Den was still haphazardly strewn on the other couch, yet he couldn't help but glance between Lok and Zhalia, his expression troubled. Sophie looked at Lok for awhile, hands on her lap, internally debating whether she should go stand by him or stay, it seemed. Lok himself looked down most of the time, not saying anything yet.

"Zhalia?"

The single word drew all of their attentions instantly - Lok slowly lifted his head.

His mouth worked for a few moments, before he sighed. "I don't know exactly what I'm feeling, but, I _do_ understand why you did... what you did" he said faintly, then glanced away. "If the Professor had gotten out, it'd have been chaos - but now it's one step forward, and two steps back."

"Lok" Sophie breathed sadly.

He slowly lay down sideways, carefully moving his splintered foot to do so, even as Sophie quickly got up + made sure his foot was elevated properly. Den said nothing, while Zhalia struggled internally. She hadn't felt this mentally weak since her indecision on whether to betray Dante and his team or not; but what other choice did she have? If she hadn't destroyed the Nexus, things would only have gotten worse. But now because of it, there was a thick tension between her and Den, if not Lok as well, and likely disapproval from Sophie on Lok's behalf (though she'd also understand).

It'd turn out alright in the end though, wouldn't it?

Den shifted a bit, then he was suddenly still. "Zhalia?"

Still focused internally, she missed his tone. "Yeah?"

"What's that on your boot?"

She was slow to react, but it instantly drew Lok's and Sophie's attention... shaking it off, she quickly brought her feet up. He'd been right: there on her right boot was an electronic gadget, discreetly attached to the side with all ease. She quickly pulled it off, handing it off for Sophie to look over, even as she looked at Den. "Can you remember when I didn't have it?" she asked intently.

"Uh" he breathed tightly, closing his eyes as he touched his forehead. "You didn't have it before the Nexus, or after we first entered. Umm... I think you didn't have it when the Professor got us- no wait, I'm sure of it; you didn't.

"And?"

"Things were a little fuzzy after that" he grunted, his look darkening as he struggled to remember. "I don't think- wait, yeah! You had it after the Professor used Skingrip on us!"

"But who could have done that?" Sophie exclaimed. "There was no one else with you!"

"That's exactly the issue" she said grimly. "No one that we _saw_ " she said, to a moment's worth of implications. "But what about the gadget, Sophie?"

She looked at it, held in both her hands, her expression troubled. "It has a number of symbols I don't recognize, and it's outdated by at least a decade... but, this technology" she said, hesitant. "It's- It's Huntik Foundation technology."

No one said anything, but they all slowly turned toward Lok, hardly daring to hope. He had much the same expression, but they knew they had the same person on their minds.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **So much is starting to happen now, but it's still only the beginning. As for the after-escape scene with The Professor and Solwing, in context it's impossible for Zhalia to know that - and she doesn't; it's for our benefit.**

 **Happy 4th of July though :) Stay tuned.**


	7. Growing Bonds

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Due to a minor injury, Lok stayed at Sophie's mansion, where the young couple shares a moment. However, soon Zhalia and Den report back, exhausted and mentally drained - a result of their visit to the Spirit World, Huntik. There they met The Professor after an ambush, again in control of the Legendary Titans of Body, Mind, and Spirit. Through some quick thinking and a backup plan, they barely managed to escape, but not without unexpected help and a cruel choice... compounding the matter is the device that was mysteriously planted on Zhalia, with telltale signs of identity, due to being Foundation technology.**

* * *

 _"Growing Bonds"_

 _Episode 59_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

Sophie brushed her hair a few more times, then tried to find another reason to delay finishing up. Meanwhile, the nearby bathroom door was ajar, letting her see into her bedroom - where Lok was currently awake, but shirtless, doing some light stretches.

When she found herself staring (again), she quickly looked away. Why was she acting like this? She'd seen Lok without a shirt before, several times in fact since they'd been sleeping in the same room, and yet now she was suddenly fascinated with the sight of his body. Then again, when he said he'd been 'attracted' to her being soaking wet, she'd found herself strangely (slowly) drawn toward him, even wanting. And though she'd hid it rather well, when Lok had started kissing her neck, she had been deeply disappointed when she saw his Logosbook ringing - even though she knew it couldn't be avoided.

 _"Is this- Is this what it feels like to be, uh, turned on?"_ she thought, rather timidly on those last two words. _"Even if just a little? What am I gonna do? And do I just walk out there and strike up a conversation, like normal?"_

She had no answer to that first part. But then again, she couldn't keep delaying like this; it was boring, for one thing.

So, taking in a breath, Sophie turned and walked into her bedroom - her footsteps made slight noise against the floor, which judging by the slight shift in Lok's posture, told her that he knew. "Hey, Lok" she breathed, trying to sound as normal as possible and keep her heart-rate down. "How are you feeling?"

He slowly straightened up, but didn't turn around. "Better" he said faintly, looking at the window. "I'm no longer quite depressed, if you can call it that, but I'm still uncertain. I don't know what to do next, and searching for more Nexus'... *sigh* just doesn't have the same feel to it."

She approached slowly, until she stood just behind him. "No matter what happens, we'll find your father, Lok" she whispered softly, touching a hand to his shoulder. "You can be sure about that."

Lok gently touched her hand, turning toward her (she had to struggle hard not to glance at his chest), gripping her hand with his own. "I know" he whispered back gently, then his expression became troubled. "But that's not the only thing I'm worried about."

"The Legendary Titans of Body, Mind and Spirit?" she asked, thinking it couldn't be much else.

He nodded. "Yeah" he breathed, looking at her. "According to Zhalia, they could take out Powerbonded Titans in one hit. We've both felt their strength, but they should have lasted a few seconds longer than they did, at least."

In a moment of instinct, Sophie drew closer, holding him in a hug. "I'm worried about that too, though I can't hazard a guess yet" she admitted. "But nobody said it would be easy. We'll find a way."

Lok slowly held her back. "Thanks, Sophie."

The moment he hugged her back, she experienced two things. 1) A sense of love at being close to Lok and 2) the realization that she was currently hugging herself against Lok's bare chest. Her heart-rate started to rise, and she could feel her spine starting to tingle - once again she wondered if she was getting turned on., even slightly Because if she was, this would be really hard to resist...

Still holding her, Lok seemed to think elsewhere. "We will find a way" he said, then gently let go of her. "But we'll need a little help."

While thrown off by his abrupt departure (part of her wished she could have given in), she saw Lok grab his shirts and head out the door, putting them on as he did so. "Wait, Lok! Help from where?" she called after him, quickly following.

* * *

A little time later, Sophie stood off to the side - along with Zhalia, Den and Cherit - watching Lok converse with Dante. For the most part, her 'state' back there had diminished, but she could feel it boiling below the surface - so she didn't doubt it'd return. But while she wasn't sure what to do, hearing Lok tell Dante about their last encounter with the Nexus (no one had the heart to submit the report earlier), helped keep her focused on the now.

"-she had no choice, Dante" Lok finished, glancing at Zhalia. "I wish there had been another way, but I understand."

 _"I do too"_ Dante answered, a little subdued. _"If push came to shove, I would have done much the same myself. Still, Zhalia?"_

Sophie glanced at Zhalia, who while surprised, nonetheless presented herself front-and-center. "Uh, yes Dante?"

 _"Let me just say I can imagine what you're feeling right now"_ he said. _"You had to make a terrible choice, but even afterward, you've probably found yourself in a tense situation."_

There was a moment of silence, during which Zhalia glanced at Lok, who otherwise looked reluctantly uncomfortable. And from her point-of-view, Sophie looked at Den, who appeared to be feeling something similar, but it was harder to tell. On Den's shoulder, Cherit was a little worried for Den, but wasn't sure what to say. Then the moment passed and Zhalia drew herself up, "There was some trouble" she admitted, sounding distant. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

Was it her imagination, or did Dante not look entirely convinced? But before Sophie could tell, Dante managed a slight smile, for a moment. _"Alright"_ he acknowledged, then looked back at Lok expectantly - while this happened, Zhalia slowly walked out of the screen's view, her composure fading a bit after that.

Lok smiled faintly, moving on as well. "The Nexus spell?"

 _"Still in progress, but outlook hopeful so far"_ Dante answered.

Lok nodded. "Good, but until then, we'll need help" he said, sounding... uncertain? "I can't ask you to abandon your job in New York to help us, Dante, so... I've got another person in mind."

 _"Is this who I think you're thinking of?"_ Dante asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lok slowly breathed out. "Probably" he answered, with a hint of something other than humor. "I'll be making the arrangements soon. I'll give you a report later with the answer."

Dante nodded. _"I'll look forward to it"_ he answered, then a moment later, his view-screen turned itself off.

"Okay" Lok said, almost like steeling himself, before he nodded briskly and headed off. "Gotta head to the airport to make those arrangements" he said quickly. "Should be back in a few hours!"

Sophie stood there for a moment in disbelief, then she ran after him. "Lok! At least tell _me_ what you're planning!"

* * *

Zhalia saw Sophie disappear around the corner, in hot pursuit.

 _"It's supposed to be a surprise!"_ came from Lok, fainter because of increasing distance.

 _"I'm your girlfriend!"_ from Sophie, even fainter.

Whatever he said next, couldn't make it out, so Zhalia merely shook her head with some amusement. "Some things never change" she said to herself.

"The airport though?" Cherit asked, paw held to his chin, even as he hovered. "Where are we going this time?"

"Lok wanted it to be a surprise, so I guess we'll find out later" she said faintly, shrugging.

"Zhalia..."

The tone of voice instantly drew her attention, as well as Cherit's, so they both looked at Den. The young man struggled for a moment, then he sighed and faced her directly.

Knowing almost exactly where this was going, Zhalia did her best to brace for whatever he could say - on the side, Cherit looked between them with worry, looking like he wanted to say something but knew he couldn't.

"I... still don't agree, with what you did" Den said shortly, holding his right arm with the other hand. "But, I understand why. It's done."

She reacted a little, but didn't say anything.

He made a sound. "I was just so furious with you, and I didn't think straight" he continued, uncertain. "Even though I don't agree, I know better to let this change how I think about you."

Zhalia slowly breathed out herself. "I think it's a little late for that, Den" she stated, but faint. "But I'm also glad that you aren't _that_ angry."

He glanced down, for a moment. "I'm not gonna apologize though" he said, faint as well.

For what he'd said; she understood - still, Zhalia noticed there was another element, where Den wondered if he was being too harsh to her, now that his anger had cooled.

She strode over to him slowly, tentatively placing one hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't expect you to, Den" she breathed. "Frankly, I was expecting far worse, and from the entire team. I probably would have deserved it too."

Den didn't reply for a moment, then brushed her comment aside. "Still, you're my friend, Zhalia" he said. "Is it... too much for me to ask you not to do something like that again?"

Zhalia didn't hesitate. "I promise I'll try" she assured. "I didn't want to in the first place; remember that."

"...okay."

After that, Den took her hand off her shoulder - he grasped it rather tightly, but the way a friend would.

She squeezed back, massively relieved on the inside.

At that moment, Cherit flew over to them. "You two had me worried there" he said, similarly affected. "But I'm glad you're okay."

Den let go of her hand, looking at Cherit. "It'll probably take awhile for the tension to go away, but yeah, we'll be okay" he said, glancing at her as he said it; even curved his lip.

She returned it, letting the moment go on a little. "Now, I believe Lok intends to have us on a plane to who knows where" she added, still faint, to make it a gradual-ish transtition. "We might wanna pack."

After the initial surprise, Den made a sound, then nodded. "Will do" he said faintly, then he turned and ran off.

Zhalia had to admit, now that Den had run off, she had an impulsive urge to slump over with the relief... but with Cherit still around, she couldn't. Speaking of Cherit though, he wondered out-loud if he should pack too. She intended to answer, but an instinct stopped her, so she glanced down - her Logosbook was glowing a faint blue, ready for her to read. So, she said to Cherit that he didn't have much to pack in the first place, and that she should start as well, allowing her to leave quickly. Going to a different room, and making sure she hadn't been followed, Zhalia slowly sat down. _"Logosbook."_

 _I thought I'd catch you before you got on the plane, Zhalia, whenever that takes off._

Her lip curved faintly, then she took out a pen, breathing.

 _For once, Dante, you called at a bad time._

At least fifteen seconds must have passed by:

 _Well, that's a first. You okay?_

For a moment, she pictured what Dante's reaction might have looked like. Then, deciding not to dwell on the fact, she wrote back:

 _Yeah, I'm fine._

 _But anyway ...I assume you want my answer?_

She didn't have to wait long:

 _That's certainly part of it, Zhalia, if you have one yet._

She briefly wondered at the other part... then, taking a deep breath, tried to compose herself as she wrote.

 _Well, I'm... ah... I'm 'willing' to try, I guess._

 _But I have reservations about being so in public._

This time, he took a little while:

 _A secret kind huh? Hmm, the idea has merit._

She felt a little hot all of a sudden; how on Earth did she get herself to agree to this?

But Dante hadn't finished:

 _Still, that kind of thing involves a few little details to talk about, that are best saved for when we next see each other in person._

 _Which should be soon._

Zhalia was a bit surprised, but tried to keep it out of her words.

 _I'd ask 'how soon is soon?', but I know better. So, instead, what's that other part you want to talk about?_

He was really quick:

 _An offer, Zhalia. If you have any lingering worries over destroying the Nexus, or how the others reacted, you can tell me._

She wasn't sure how to respond, and the moments stretched out in her uncertainty. Did she have anything lingering in her heart? The entire incident had strained both herself and how the others viewed her, leaving things fairly tense, at least at first. But she had also seen that tension start to fade away under their friendship; Lok was no longer fully 'depressed'; Den had just cleared the air, if still a little awkward; and aside her initial chewing out after the briefing (to support Lok), Sophie had said nothing further about it. She guessed they were making peace with it... had she?

After carefully thinking it over, she slowly wrote.

 _I wish I didn't have to, but other than that... I don't think so. It was necessary, it's pained me and the others, but what's done is done. No one hates me anymore, at least_

Dante took a few moments, but she didn't notice at this point:

 _I doubt it's as easy as you say, but I'm still glad; I'd really hate to see you torment yourself over this._

The concern in his words made her blush, and suddenly gave her a desire to swoon (no, seriously). Luckily, she was too composed to allow it, but despite that her heart was thumping. Still, she tried to control herself subconsciously as she wrote back.

 _You keep that up and I'll have to close this Logosbook, Dante._

Zhalia could almost hear him chuckling, despite being thousands of miles away.

 _Perhaps it's just as well, Zhalia. Probably very soon, you'll have a plane to board, and we don't want the magic to interfere with the plane; they're expensive you know._

She giggled, hard; she couldn't help it, or how girly it sounded. Then she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, quickly looking around with heated cheeks - luckily for her, no one appeared to have heard that, so far as she could detect. As a result, she nearly missed the very last bit:

 _Take care._

After that, nothing else, but she knew exactly why he'd said it; trying to make her feel better.

* * *

 _Several hours later_

 _Destination: Ireland_

"Seriously, Zhalia!? I know you could have deduced where we were heading, and you did, but you didn't have to say it out loud!"

Zhalia shrugged. "It slipped" she said mildly, to Lok's slump.

From her nearby seat, Sophie giggled a little as she watched this, glad that they were starting to share little moments again. Maybe it wouldn't relieve the tension entirely, but it meant they were okay. Then she returned her attention to her Cypherdex - at the moment, the mission card ( _"Recruitment"_ ) lay on it's circuitry, showing an image of their destination.

She thought it would be nice to visit Lok's home again, though maybe a little embarrassing to think about what Sandra would think about them being together. Then again, she thought that worry might be completely needless; she knew Sandra fairly well, and logically, she'd probably just approve them outright - well, maybe with an attempt at a warning. Even as she pondered this, Den sat in the seat in front of her, listening to music with Cherit starting to wake from his nap in the other seat (he was adorable with that smile on his face).

Lok sighed, briefly touching a hand to his head. "Okay, so it's no longer a secret" he said with a sigh. "Yes, we're visiting my family, Zhalia."

"But not just for a visit" Den said, his briefly-taken-off headphones in his fingers. "You mentioned help, right?"

Lok made a sound. "I'm determined to keep _that_ a secret, at least" he said, then turned and walked away, toward Sophie.

"Perhaps that help is Scarlet?" Zhalia asked, with an edge.

Her question startled the couple, and for Sophie, gave her a rush of jealousy. That woman had always flirted with Lok and Dante, maybe playfully and maybe innocently, but she seemed not to notice that others were interested in them. She struggled against this, hard, but noticed the edge in Zhalia's question after a moment. She too still felt the effect of that woman-

"Ha ha ha" Lok shot back, then looked at Sophie. There was a moment of silence, then he shook his head just a little, and mouthed two words.

 _Not her_

She was left staring at him for a moment, then felt a similar rush, this time with relief.

Probably in response to this, Lok smiled gently, then lightly tilted his head toward the other compartment's door, offering his hand to her. She was slightly surprised, but she willingly took his hand, letting him pull her toward there metaphorically. In the other compartment (which was opposite the bathroom), she waited till Lok closed the door first.

"It really isn't Scarlet?"

He scoffed a little, turning toward her. "Are you kidding?" he asked, rather incredulously as he stepped toward her. "Scarlet's a good woman, and I like her as a friend of course, but how I can work with someone who flirts even when it's clear others like us?" he continued, shaking his head. "With us together now, that'd be just asking for trouble!"

Her cheeks briefly turned pink. "Well, I'm glad it's not her" she said, then crossed her arms. "But how are you suddenly aware of her flirting attempts? You were practically oblivious the last few times!"

Lok rubbed his head, guilty as charged. "I was, least in part" he admitted. "But ever since we became a couple, it's given me a rather different view on a few things I didn't understand at the time, like how Zhalia acts around Dante (she smirked a little), or how Scarlet acted around me and Dante." He glanced up, eyebrows furrowed, "I _still_ can't tell though, if Scarlet's flirting was innocent or not..."

Sophie pulled Lok in close, to his surprise. "At the moment, I don't particularly care" she said, then pulled him to sit on the nearby couch. "But even if it isn't and she won't stop flirting the next time we see her, I'll make sure she gets the message."

"Just don't hurt her" he answered, but with a little smile. "She's still a Foundation Seeker."

"Oh I won't" she answered airily. "Much."

"Hey!" he protested, pushing her by the shoulder, leading to both of them laughing... then eventually this died down, looking at each other, she scooting closer. They said nothing for awhile, merely leaned against each other, Lok's fingers gently moving up and down the skin between her shoulder and the top of her sleeve. Despite the easy touch, it made her heart beat faster, and she was distinctly aware that they had several hours of the flight left. She saw no reason not to, yet she lingered, at least for a little.

Then after a moment, her hand moved slowly, brushing over the fabric of his shirt. First it was simply touching his stomach, then she started toying around his abs, feeling her earlier little bit of lust(wanting?) deep down.

Above her touch, Lok shivered a little from surprise, but he managed a smile. "Sophie, you're in a mood" he whispered gently.

"Mmh" she breathed simply, looking right at him, inches away.

He leaned in, and their lips quickly touched; it was a short, but passionate kiss. When they broke apart, Lok held her closer. "So, um, what's not allowed?" he asked faintly, his calm betrayed by his rapidly-beating heart (which her hand was currently over).

At first she didn't comprehend, but when she did, she was grateful to Lok for cutting to the chase. "Well, for me" Sophie breathed, suddenly difficult to get the words out. "Uh, everything stays on, no going underneath 'anything' - and no going below the waist, period. And... that's it."

His heart-rate spiked; it felt like a hammer striking the inside, and this was reflected in his expression. "Sophie... are you saying what I think you're saying?" he whispered.

Her cheeks turned red, and she glanced down at her hand. "I'd rather you didn't make it say it at all" she mumbled, feeling heavily embarrassed; it had been hard enough just to imply.

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head a bit, his hand resting on her arm. "O-okay" he whispered, with a slight stutter. "Umm, for me, well - pretty much what you said, but – well, you can go under... my shirts, that is."

She gasped a little, looking at him in shock, her own heart beating as fast as Lok's. He seemed a little nervous, but he gave her a reassuring sheepish smile, holding her closer with one arm. Then she felt warm just for him allowing her to do so, and she kissed him again, hard. They both made little sounds, their kiss heating up as they held each other close.

But they weren't idle: Lok gently stroked her neck with his fingers, which felt good despite being simple. She was a bit more active, her hands toying with the bottom of his shirts, and the skin underneath. As her passion increased, so did her bravery; soon she stuck her whole hand up there - Lok hitched from the touch, but he only seemed to like it after that. And while she knew he wasn't overly muscular, his toned muscles were a pleasure to explore under her fingers. It wasn't too long before both hands were up there.

Lok's own hand slowly slid down, leaving her neck onto her shirt... then stop at one particular area.

She gasped into his mouth, the warmth spiking - she marveled at how good it felt already, despite them just starting! During a small-yet-brief break in their kissing, she was panting, but Lok didn't stop his hesitant gentle touch. Soon his entire hand was covering, which caused her to make several little sounds during his soft exploration. And when he gently squeezed, her back instinctively arced itself up just a little - wow, that was hot. She held Lok even closer as his other hand slowly joined in on the fun.

* * *

Den removed the ear buds from his head after awhile, glancing around the cabin, feeling Cherit climb onto his lap. "Hey, where's Lok?" he asked slowly.

"In the other room, with Sophie" Zhalia answered.

He opened his mouth, then realized what that meant. "Oh... so it's not a good idea to disturb them." he said faintly.

"Not at all" she acknowledged, not looking up. "Whatever they're doing - and we _don't_ want to know - you're better off staying right there."

He sighed a bit, resting his head against his hand; they still had a little time till they arrived. He wasn't sure what to do though - trying to talk with Zhalia was still awkward, as it had been only days. As he thought, Cherit nosed around his ear buds (which were still playing a song, now otherwise forgotten), carefully putting one ear to one of them slowly... then pulled back in surprise. "Wow, music sure has changed a lot" he said, interested.

Jolted a bit, Den looked down at Cherit. "You mean, from Lord Casterwill's time?"

He shook his head, smiling. "No, this year" he said brightly. "And the year before that, and the year before that! Music changes so often, but never more than during this century."

"Well, people have made a lot of different categories of music, so yeah" he admitted, smiling a bit. "Still, I bet they can't compare to music from Lord Casterwill's time."

Cherit's ears dropped faintly, but it was brief. "If I knew, I'd answer you" he said, sitting up. "But like usual, I can't remember much from that long ago."

Now feeling a little bad, Den lightly touched Cherit's back. "You'll get your memory back, Cherit" he breathed gently. "I'm sure of it."

"I hope so" he said sincerely, then he smiled. "But even if I don't, I'm glad to be with this team. But I'm also a little envious!"

"That's the spi-" he started to say, before that last part sunk in. "Envious?" he repeated, really surprised. " _You_ , Cherit? (he nodded) Why?"

"You got to go to Huntik, and return!" he breathed, flying without appearing to notice it, speaking very fast. "No one's ever done that as far as I know, and it means it must be possible to do it again! If I hadn't been out delivering a message, I might have been able to go with you!"

Den was a little stunned at this out-pouring, but he slowly breathed out, looking at the hovering Titan. "You're homesick."

The Titan lowered himself to his lap, but merely shrugged. "I've lived for over 10,000 years, Den, most of it spent in your dimension" he said. "So I always feel a little homesick, more on some days than others."

He lowered his head a bit. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be" the Titan replied brightly. "As I said, I don't mind being on this team. Plus, recent events have made me very excited! If Dante and the Huntik Foundation succeed in making a spell to create a portal to Huntik, I could visit my home dimension anytime I wish!"

He laughed, thinking of that possibility himself; his trip there had been interesting, despite what happened. "Now that's more like it, Cherit!"

Then he picked up his ear buds with one hand, while adjusting the player itself (and turning the volume down a little). However, just as he picked them up, a thought occurred to him, and he put them back down. "Cherit?" he asked gently.

"Yes, Den?"

"Would you like to hear the details about Huntik?"

"I would love to!"

* * *

"Mmph-Oh, Lok."

The two of them were tangled together on the couch, she on her back with one leg over Lok's, himself hovering above her. She breathed out against his soft touch, moving her fingers across his hair in return - it was all better than she'd imagined.

But still, something remained, eating away at her heart...

She gasped when he kissed her neck again, then her movements slowed.

It took Lok a few seconds, but eventually he processed her sudden halt... another few seconds of panting, then: "Sophie?" he breathed. "Are you okay?"

"Sorta" she guessed, still feeling warm, despite things. "Suddenly, I'm just feeling... conflicted."

He blinked slowly, then looked worried. "Is it something I did?"

"No, not at all" she said quickly, though her cheeks were hot. "What you've done is fine, great actually, it's just-" she continued, before pausing, trying to find the right words. "I've been partially raised to be prim and proper since I was young, Lok. Because of that, my head tells me this is just wrong, but my heart? It-it says this is good, even forbiddenly so."

His hand moved to her shoulder, even as he processed this. "But, you must know there's nothing embarrassing about loving someone" he insisted, slightly nonplussed, though that might have been the dazed feeling.

"I _know_ that" she said with an edge, but regretted it after she realized this. "It's just - it's difficult to get away from something so deeply ingrained."

Mere seconds after she said that, she suddenly felt this might be what Zhalia had meant, back in Colombia. Maybe their ingrained instincts were different, but the situation was the same.

Oblivious to this line of thought, Lok made a small sound. "Well, then think about this" he said softly, tracing his finger across her cheekbones (which turned them pink). "Some of the 'prim and proper' royalty have still had kids, which means they'd have to deal with this, and more. The embarrassment didn't stop them, right?"

"No" she said eventually, touching her fingers to his.

"Then I don't think you should let this get to you" he answered simply.

"I didn't say it got to me" she replied, which slowly made him chuckle, and she softened. "Besides, I'm more worried about why I'm feeling this this _now_ , instead of weeks ago."

Lok carefully moved himself, now sitting up, which slowly allowed her to do the same. "If I'm not mistaken, relationships always have a 'happy' state first" he said, helping her up a little. "It might have been suppressed."

"Perhaps."

After that, they just looked at each other for a little. She started to lean in (he did the same), both of them enjoying the simple kiss, staying that way for ten seconds.

 _"Attention Huntik Seekers, this is your pilot speaking."_ spoke from the on-board intercom, breaking apart the couple. _"We are approaching our destination, and will land in approximately twenty minutes. Thank you for flying with the Huntik Foundation."_

They looked at each other, slowly making sounds. "Well, that'll give us plenty of time to talk about the... 'particulars' of what we liked, or didn't" he said mildly, up until the emphasized word, where he got nervous. "And more about your worry, if you want." he added quickly.

Her pink turned to red, she was sure.

* * *

 _Country Kerry, Ireland_

 _An hour later_

"All right" Lok breathed, seeing his mother's house already on the horizon. "We're almost there."

He directed part of that comment toward Sophie, who met his eyes. After a moment though, both of them sorta became pink in the face... post-pleasure conversations about what they had really liked, and what they didn't, were much more awkward than they had initially thought.

Behind them, Den rubbed his arms quickly, which Zhalia noticed. "You have a real problem with cold, don't you?" she asked, eyebrow quirked, though her voice was slightly tentative.

"Well, more like extreme cold" he replied, with faint elements of this too. "Ireland isn't exactly warm, but it's not that bad. Ever since the mountains though, the air has been giving me flashbacks to even colder weather."

"Well, as long as you're fine" she said mildly, walking ahead of him a bit; Den rolled his eyes slightly.

...

And sure enough, there were there in no time, Lok knocking on the door. "Mom! It's me!"

And in seconds the door was opened: "Lok! Welcome home."

He stepped into the expected hug, patting her back with a chuckle. "It's good to see you too, Mom" he said, then he quickly gestured to behind him. "You know Den ("Hey"), Zhalia ("Hello"), Cherit ("A pleasure" the Titan replied, from his spot in Lok's pack)-" he started, then looked to to his right, putting an arm around Sophie's shoulder. "-and of course, Sophie."

"It's a pleasure" Mrs. Lambert said softly, but much to her surprise, the older woman swept her in a small hug.

"You're welcome anytime" she said warmly, pulling back. "All of you are, but especially you Sophie; you're practically family now."

"F-Family?" Sophie stammered, more from surprise than anything else, glancing at Lok.

She chuckled a bit. "Lok sent me an email some time ago" she explained, while Lok looked suitably sheepish at her look. "He told me how he was doing as leader of the team, the places they've explored, how Dante was doing, but he also mentioned how you and he were now a thing" she continued, which got a sound out of Lok (and Sophie). "His words, not mine" she finished mildly, but it was with some amusement.

" _Mom_ " Lok whined a little, glancing away, sorta seeing the 'I-feel-for-you-man' look on Den's face. Behind him, Zhalia was simply amused.

"But where are my manners?" she wondered, stepping aside and ushering them in. "Come on in, get yourselves comfortable."

Lok was quick, followed by Den and Zhalia, but Sophie was slow in doing so. "I'm flattered, Mrs Lambert" she started, still a little red in her cheeks. "But Lok and I are still only dating, so we're nowhere near 'family' yet, in any sense of the word."

The older woman smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yet, I approve of your relationship" she said simply, gently pulling her inside. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg, regarding what I could say about it."

/

"Alright Lok, you can spill now" Zhalia stated, sipping at her tea. "You brought us here to ask for help, right?"

"Yes, but it's not yet time" he said, looking at his own cup.

Den glanced at this, but mostly looked at him: "Why, Lok? What are you waiting for?" he asked, but Lok didn't answer.

"You should at least tell your mother about what our next mission is" Sophie said, from the armchair next to him.

He smiled a bit, just as Sandra came back in with sandwiches. "I plan to-" he answered, before noticing this. "Oh, mom! Perfect timing" he continued, taking his. Cherit already took one out of pure curiosity, but Sandra didn't mind, even as Sophie got up and helped her out.

"You wanted to get me up-to-date on how the Huntik Foundation is doing?" she asked, even as she + Sophie continued to distribute the sandwiches.

Lok nodded a little, placing his uneaten sandwich on the nearby table next to his bag, but he was a little nervous. "Well, Dante is doing great, but that's only sorta what we wanted to talk to you about" he said. "We've got another big mission coming up soon."

Sandra hummed slightly, then sat down, a little more 'composed'. "Organization, or Blood Spiral?"

"Organization, technically" Sophie replied. "You remember the Professor? (she nodded) Well, he's forcibly taken hundreds of Organization suits into the Spirit World, apparently for the purpose of having an army again."

Sandra gave off a sigh. "Simon never did know when to stop" she replied wryly, but serious. "And let me guess; he's trying to get back to our dimension?"

"He is" Cherit replied. "And it'd be terrible if he did."

Lok nodded, looking back at his mother. "And so, before that happens, we intend to find a way into Huntik ourselves" he said seriously. "To confront him, and put an end to this."

It was a few moments before she replied. "Lok, that's very brave of you" she answered, then slowly glanced at the rest of them. "And you already sound like you know a way in."

"We do" Zhalia answered. "The past few weeks, we've been searching the world for more Nexus', like the one Eathon disappeared through. Our endeavors have met with-" she stopped herself. "Well, mixed results."

Sandra was startled, looking straight at her. "You found a working one, and went in, didn't you" she said intently, not a question.

Zhalia lowered her head a bit. "We did" she answered. "But the Professor found us; we barely escaped, and not without help. To prevent him from following, I-" she stopped again, briefly looking stricken (and this drew the worry of everyone else).

Sandra's expression saddened, but she nodded. "I understand" she said, sounding slightly shaky at first. "But while you were there, did you- did you see Eathon?"

Not saying a word, Zhalia merely shook her head.

"Mrs Lambert" Den spoke up, a little subdued. "We didn't see anyone else, but we did find this on Zhalia, after we got away" he continued, pulling out the thing they'd found, and offered it up to her (which she took). "It's not Organization or Blood Spiral technology; it's Foundation."

As he said this, Sandra adjusted her glasses as she looked at it intently, and gave off a little gasp. "I recognize these symbols" she said intently, to shock from the room. "They're part of Eathon's personal code, which he worked on in his spare time years ago, thinking it'd be fun for Lok to decipher."

Lok was already on his feet. "What do they say!?" he asked, animated.

She glanced up from it. "'Property of Eathon Lambert'" she said faintly, almost sheepish. "It's a small gadget; there probably wasn't room for much else" she explained, to fill the room's silence.

"Still, it's proof; dad was there!" Lok breathed, looking at all of them. "Apparently hidden or invisible, but still unmistakably there!"

Before anyone could reply though, there was the unmistakable sound of a car engine, a brief silence, then a car door opening.

"That must be Cathy" Sandra supplied, smiling. "Probably back from surveying colleges."

Cherit quickly jumped off the chair and onto the table, burying himself into the bag. Lok didn't notice this, but his demeanor had changed: "She's done with community college already?" he asked, sitting back down, perfectly straight.

She nodded, taking a sip of tea. "Yeah, she found community a bit too... I think 'general' is the word" Sandra replied easily, then glanced up. "Or was it too easy?"

Lok chuckled a bit. "I'll take general" he said, the sound of a door opening audible (a flick of his eyes showed he was aware too). "If community college is too easy for her, then I have a lot more to live up to."

"Like you wouldn't be able to live up to it, little bro?"

Lok easily turned around, looking up at his older sister Cathy, who had her arms crossed. "Oh course I could" he answered playfully. "I'm just being a brother by saying I'd rather you'd fail!"

She chuckled, then pulled him into a brief mock-fight head-lock, which led to both of them laughing. "Of course you would, stinkbrain!" she answered just as playfully, patting him on the back. "And with you here, everyone else must be too" Cathy continued normally, straightening and looking around. "Yup, there's Sophie, Zhalia, Den (who all acknowledged this) - but what about Dante?"

"He's working at a new job, far away in New York City" Lok answered, but with a smile. "But he keeps in touch."

"Well, good for him" she said genuinely, then she glanced meaningfully at Sophie. "But truthfully, I'm more interested in how long you and Sophie have been together" she continued playfully, causing both of them to go red, with a bit of stammering. "You seem a little tense though bro-"

Zhalia cut through this: "As much as I'd like to see this" she said, with some amusement. "Lok, there is a reason why we're here."

Shaking off his embarrassment, Lok nodded after a moment. "Yeah, there is" he answered, then glanced up at Cathy. "And well, I'd like it if you were here for this, Cath."

She was surprised, even confused, but otherwise fine, "Well, okay" she said, going toward the only chair that was empty. Before she took more than a step though, she stopped, having noticed that the entire mood of the room had changed dramatically. No one said anything, but Sophie/Zhalia/Den were all looking at Lok with different expressions, yet managed to get the same question across. Sandra appeared distinctly sad, had her eyes closed, and appeared to be struggling a little. Also, there was a very small movement from Lok's bag.

Cathy seemed to see this, but otherwise dismissed it as she looked around her. "I feel like I'm the only one who's not 'in' on things" she said slowly. "Like I'm missing something."

"You are, Cath. Please, sit."

Maybe it was the complete change in Lok's voice, but she did so after a moment. "Okay" she said slowly, glancing between all of them.

"You remember the second-to-last time we were here?" he asked seriously. "With the awkward cover-ups and the odd statue?"

To their surprise, she laughed. "Oh, I remember that very well" Cathy said with mirth. "That was the silliest story I've ever heard! The only reason I didn't say anything was because of the sheer effort you put into that excuse, but that didn't make it any less silly."

Lok gave her a small smile. "You still bought it" he pointed out, a little playful.

Cathy tilted her head toward him briefly. "Got me there, bro" she admitted. "But what's your point?"

"That statue wasn't a statue" he said faintly, with subtle reactions around the room, and another 'reaction' from the bag. "He's a Titan."

"Excuse me?" she asked after a moment, confused.

"A Titan" he repeated. "A creature from another dimension, but he's friendly."

Everyone and everything in the room was waiting for her reaction, something she quickly seemed to notice. "W-Well" she said, completely nonplussed. "Lok, I- I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but uh - you do seem serious."

He nodded. "Maybe this will help" he continued, then looked at his bag on the table. "Cherit? You can come out now."

"You sure?" came from it, to Cathy's heavy surprise, enough that she nearly jumped out of her chair.

Lok struggled for a moment, but he managed to nod, even though the Titan couldn't see this. "I'm sure, Cherit."

So after a few moments, the bag stirred a lot, right before a pair of wings came out, followed quickly by his head. "Hello there, Cathy" he said graciously, if nervous, climbing out on foot.

"...uh, h-hello" she said back, but purely an instinct; she was still _very_ surprised.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **I thought she'd find out sooner or later in the show, but thanks to this story, it's sooner :) And this isn't the least of what she'll find out**

 **Stay tuned.**


	8. Family, Pt 1

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **After the incident in Australia, Lok has decided that he and the team will require help, so the team once again flies to Ireland. At Sandra Lambert's home, the team informs Sandra of their mission and the latest reports, and she gives them her support. However, Lok does not intend to ask her for help. Soon after, Lok's older sister, Cathy, begins to learn that which has been kept from her for so long: that another world, the world of Seekers and Titans, exists in addition to her own.**

* * *

 _"Family, Pt. I"_

 _Episode 60_

* * *

 _Huntik Foundation Council_

 _Manhattan, New York_

Dante wrote steadily, glancing at the time before returning to the writing. _"Should be any time now"_ he thought.

And seconds later, the door opened - after a moment: "Dante."

"Grier" he answered, setting down the pen and looking up, but slightly surprised at what he saw. "Hmm, you're both looking well" he added, mild.

From his place in Grier's arms, 'Eathon' barked a little threateningly, but a comforting touch eased the dog.

"Well, I must admit, I didn't think you'd bring him along with you" he continued, still mild.

Grier got a little smirk. "Why? Huntik HQ have a 'no dogs allowed' sign? Must have missed it."

Dante chuckled, leaning back. "Then again, I guess deep down I'm not entirely surprised." he said, watching Grier put him down. "Eathon there is pretty fierce with those two Undergolems he commands."

"Indeed he is" Grier acknowledged, taking a chair and sitting in it, Eathon obediently sitting beside his feet. "Eathon represents a unique asset to the Organization, and his abilities cannot be undone except by Araknos."

"Not that I think you'd want them undone, for awhile anyway" Dante observed. "Still, you seem very close to Eathon."

Grier lightly scratched Eathon behind his ears, who liked that. "It is best to have the loyalty of your subordinates, no matter who they are, or what they're like" he said. "But it is not purely because of the need for loyalty; I have grown rather fond of this one."

He smiled a bit. "Good to hear" he said, more gentle for the moment. "But, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what can I do for you, Grier?"

"I want to know the progress of your portal-to-Huntik spell" he said intently, leaning forward. "As well as what's new."

"The spell itself is coming along" he said, glancing at his paperwork. "We may be able to test-run it fairly soon. As for what's new, I suspect you already know about the incident?"

Grier grunted a bit. "Not all the details, but there are pieces" he said. "We've found evidence of dimensional energies from a cave in Australia while on a mission, which your team has visited in the past. Which leads me to think your team has been to Huntik, and came back."

He hummed in response. "Right on the head, except not all of the team went in" Dante answered. "But they did meet the Professor, who was in control of the Legendary Titans of Body, Mind, and Spirit. Again."

"And my suits?"

"Let's see" he said, going over the written details he'd gotten from follow-up reports. "They seemed perfectly healthy enough, except for the mind control. But Zhalia and Den only reported about roughly five hundred suits with him at time of engagement."

"My combined numbers in Italy represented over a thousand" Grier said, with an increasing edge. "What has The Professor done with the others?"

"I intend to find out, Grier" he said carefully. "Once the spell's up and ready, and safe to use, you're gonna want your suits back."

Grier actually laughed. "Thanks for the offer, but I was gonna tag-along anyway" he merely said, then pounded his fists, briefly startling Eathon below him. "I'm gonna have a choice 'discussion' with The Professor."

"We could use the help, but I'm a bit surprised" Dante said, leaning back. "I thought you'd want to stay on your little island, keep out of the way and atone for your past actions?"

"Perhaps that's the problem" Grier admitted. "Atoning is all very well, but not helping out in the first place might have been selfish on my part. And now with my Organization suits taken, I have no choice in the matter."

"Who will rule Sutos Island in your place then?"

"Hoffman." Grier chuckled a bit at Dante's reaction, "It took him awhile, but he came around to my authority - and it doesn't hurt that many of my loyal advisers are watching his every move, ready to act if he makes any suspicious actions."

"And Wilder?" he asked carefully.

Grier scoffed. "That idiot is still insistent on his ways, almost like a feral dog, raging about what used to be and what should be." he said with disapproval, Eathon growling a little at his choice of words. "I've had to keep him locked up for his own good, also under heavy watch."

A moment, then: "Well, my friend" Dante said, standing up, extending his hand. "We appreciate the help. Took you a little longer than it should have though."

Grier took it, their grip firm. "And made you disappointed" he noted with a smirk, the way a rival would.

He chuckled, grinning back a little. "Well, you got me there."

* * *

 _Sandra's House_

 _Country Kerry, Ireland_

"Are- are you real?"

Cherit must have thought she meant his flying around, because he moved closer, sitting on the table beside Cathy. "Indeed I am" he said cheerfully, not offended in the slightest. "And it's not entirely as easy as it looks. You may feel my wings if you wish."

She was surprised, again, but she very slowly did so, after a hesitant start... at the same time, a whispered conversation was going on, while Cathy was too interested in Cherit to notice.

"Lok, you sure about this?" Den whispered intently.

"He's got a point; you've kept Cathy out of the loop for years. Why now?" Zhalia asked, brow furrowed.

"And why her, not your mother?" from Sophie.

"Mom's retired, Sophie; I can't ask her to come with us on a dangerous, unknown adventure" Lok answered, his tone full of mixed emotions. "And also, despite wanting to keep Cathy safe, I always felt bad about lying to her. It's hard to ask this of her, but I'm not gonna force her either. If she decides no, we can always Simplemind her again-" he continued, that last part with heavy reluctance. "But really, I also her want to come along... to help us find dad; she deserves it."

Just as they reacted to this, Cathy was audibly done with Cherit, which they noticed, then all quickly tried to go back to their normal positions. Cathy glanced at them, having seen this, but moved on after a moment - it didn't escape anyone's notice that she seemed preternaturally calm for such a revelation.

"So, Lok" she asked slowly. "There's others like him? And mom and dad both knew about them?"

He made a sound. "A lot like them" he acknowledged, looking straight at her. "And actually, yeah. Mom's since retired from it, though."

Cathy looked at Sandra, who hadn't said a word since Cherit had revealed himself. "Is that true, mom?"

She looked up. "Your father and I certainly had a hand in some things" she said softly, though some sadness remained in her bearing. "After he disappeared though, I've since retired from it, as Lok said."

Cathy digested this, then she glanced around all of them. "And the reason you've kept this from me is...?"

Lok fidgeted a bit, as the others did seem a little uncomfortable, because of the situation. "It's not exactly the safest job around" he said. "Plus, there's lots and lots of traveling, which would be murder on school. And while that's been perfectly fine for me, I didn't want to put that stress on you."

Cathy looked a little miffed, but after several seconds passed, she appeared to bury it - for now anyway. "What else?"

"There's a lot we'll need to explain" Zhalia spoke faintly, getting Cathy's attention. "Remember that second-to-last time, when Lok quickly changed the subject when I said 'Foundation'?"

"Yeah" she said slowly. "What's going on?"

Lok slowly sighed, looking at his hands. "Alright" he breathed, bracing himself. "The 'Foundation' Zhalia referred to was actually the Huntik Foundation, a worldwide group we all belong to. Not everyone knows about it, because if the whole world knew that there was another dimension full of Titans, there'd be chaos... but anyway, we explore across the world, finding Titans who have come to Earth, and keep them out of evil hands."

"Evil hands" Cathy repeated faintly, glancing between them yet again; there'd been a flicker of worry. "People who wish to use these, uh, 'Titans' for their own purposes?"

"There are two" Sophie said, with some trace of bitterness as she went on. "One is The Organization, which primarily wanted to take over the world their way - though for the most part, they've since become more of a rival with the new leader. The other is the Blood Spirals, who are more of the 'destroy the world' type."

"Oh, great" Cathy said, without much sarcasm; her lack of reaction was beginning to draw worry. "And why 'for the most part'?"

"The former leader of the Organization" Den began. "Who's been... uh, 'banished', is working to regain control, so there's trouble there."

"Okay, but where does Dad fit into all this?"

"That former leader Den mentioned" Lok said, his hands tightening. "Dad had a confrontation with him, and it ultimately ended up with him in Huntik."

"In where?" she asked, completely nonplussed.

"The Titan world" from Sophie. "Where they all come from."

Cathy blinked once, the seconds stretched... then: "Wait dad's alive!?" she exclaimed, having shot out of her chair.

The entire room was startled by her zero-to-sixty change.

"Of course he is!" Lok said in a hurry. "In fact that's why we're telling you about this now!"

"And why's that!?"

"We need your help" he said, suddenly faint and a little desperate-sounding. "To go and find him, then bring him back home."

The words silenced the room, and all eyes except Sandra's were on Cathy. Cathy herself was speechless, and she looked at them all differently, afraid... then she edged backward shakily, toward the door.

"Cathy" Lok begged, at the same time Cherit spoke: "Don't go!"

"I'm okay" she said, but unconvincingly, sounding near the edge of panic even as she continued to back up. "I-I am, I really am, it's just- well, this is a lot to take in. I-I just need some time to think, that's all!"

And with that, she opened the door and was gone, pausing only long enough to close the door behind her. Almost immediately, Lok was out of his seat-

...

Not minutes after this, Lok stood outside the front door, breathing heavily as the wind picked up slightly. Slowly, he glanced at Cathy's car, which remained parked where she'd left it... but there was no sign of her.

Feeling utterly conflicted, he sat down on the steps, resting his head in his hands.

What _had_ he expected? He'd asked his sister to stay, told her dad was alive, and revealed to her everything they'd tried to keep from her for all these yearas... and now he'd turned that entire world upside-down. His sister was out there in the area, probably feeling scared, hurt, betrayed, or who knew what else - and how could he blame her?

 _"But what else was I supposed to do?"_ he argued with himself internally. _"Ask mom? Or Scarlet? Will I have to now?"_

Lok groaned a little.

It felt like minutes passed, until there was a faint sound to his right.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze, half-expecting to see Sophie... "Mom?" he breathed, a little weak.

Sandra slowly sat down beside him, her expression fairly sad, but when she looked at him, it was with concern. "Sophie wanted to follow you" she said, her mouth twitching with a slight smile. "I convinced her to wait a little, though she wasn't happy with it."

He slowly breathed out, already imagining it. "Oh, mom" he whispered. "What have I done?"

"What you thought you had to" she said, entirely gentle.

He heard, but didn't answer that. "I've always hated to have to lie to Cath" Lok continued, wringing his hands a little. "Even from the beginning, mom. Sure, it was partly to keep her safe, make sure her future was wide open with school and such, but why did I do it? _Why?_ "

Just like that, mom had her arms over his shoulders. "Oh, Lok" she breathed, holding him close, if not hugging him yet. "It's okay, my son. You did it to protect your sister; that is a perfectly reasonable thing to do."

"Maybe, but how far is it acceptable?" he asked weakly, his shoulder against mom. "And even ignoring that, what about now? Part of me's glad it's finally out in the open, but what right did I have, to turn her world upside-down? For some adventure to find dad-?"

"Don't beat yourself up over that, Lok" mom insisted, fingers moving over his back, though her voice hitched. "You're trying to make amends for Cathy, I can see that plain as day."

He glanced up. "Is it really amends, when she didn't know there was a problem in the first place?" he asked.

"Yes, it is, because of what you're feeling right now."

His mouth worked, but not knowing what to say, he decided to bury himself against mom - she easily held him, both of their breath uncertain, but their grip was strong.

* * *

 _An hour later_

"Well, that could have gone better" Den said dourly, bending down to the pieces of broken plate that he'd failed to catch (spectacularly) after losing his grip. _"Mendwork"_ he said, but nothing happened, leaving him to grunt. " _Great_ , I still can't make this spell work."

Sophie bent down beside him. "It's all being entirely focused" she said gently. "Try again."

He did, but while the pieces appeared to twitch, they still didn't come together. The third time was slightly better, as several smaller pieces came together, but it stopped after that - but that one was on him, because he lost focus in his surprise.

"Well, you're certainly learning" she assured, doing it herself ( _"Findshape"_ ), and picking up the now-whole plate as she stood up, he soon following.

"Everything okay in here?" came from Sandra, who had just appeared. "I heard a crash."

"I dropped a plate, Mrs Lambert" Den said sheepishly, rubbing his head. "I tried to repair it, but Sophie's better than me at that."

Sandra briefly examined the plate, then took it from Sophie. "Well, no harm done" she said earnestly, "I can't thank you two enough for helping out."

"No problem, Sandra" Sophie said, hands behind her.

She nodded, then went to clean the plate, water rushing over it.

"Do you think Cathy will be okay?" Den asked, after a moment. "That was a lot to take in."

"With time, yes" Sandra said faintly, scrubbing the plate as she talked. "I just worry about her answer. I worry about Lok all the time, and if Cathy joins up, it'll only get worse."

Sophie put a hand on her arm. "If Cathy decides to help, she'll be fine" she said soothingly. "We'll all make sure of that."

The older woman smiled, then finished cleaning. "I know, but it doesn't stop the worry" she said mildly, putting the plate back, then slowly walking out.

There was a few moments of silence, then Sophie slowly breathed out, crossing her arms. "I hope Lok's okay" she said, worried as she glanced up at the ceiling; after he'd come in with Sandra, they'd both said that he needed a little time alone. Though, if he recalled correctly, recently Cherit had flown up there, maybe to talk to Lok.

"He'll be fine" Den said, sure of that. "Though, I can't blame him for what he's feeling."

Sophie's eyes flickered a bit. "It just pains me to stand here doing nothing" she admitted, turning to look at him, leaning against the counter. "But, as much as it does pain me, there isn't anything we can do without making things worse. Lok feels bad about lying to his sister, even for a semi-good reason, while Cathy-"

"-had her entire world turned upside down" he finished, faint... he knew that feeling well. Maybe not as bad as Cathy was feeling, being introduced to a new world she had no idea existed, but he still vividly remembered the day Harrison had taken to his new Blood Spiral power. "Understatement that it is, it's rough."

Sophie didn't answer that, though he thought she was more focused on Lok anyway, for obvious reasons. When a few seconds passed, he had a different thought:

"If Cathy does join up, eventually or otherwise" Den said, rather quiet. "Do you think it'll change anything?"

"What do you mean, Den?"

"We're traditionally a four-person team, if I'm not mistaken" he continued, looking at her. "You, Dante, Zhalia and Lok before me. Then when I came into the picture, Zhalia infiltrated the Blood Spirals, then after that, Dante went to America to be part of the Huntik Council. If Cathy joins up, what will happen to us next?"

Sophie stared at him for a few moments, briefly raising an eyebrow. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Den" she said mildly, arms crossed. "I don't plan to become part of the Casterwill Council _at all_ , Lok doesn't want to be anything other than a Huntik Seeker, leader of the team or otherwise, and I can fairly vouch that Zhalia won't be able to infiltrate either side this time. Not because she's not able to, but more because one side will be trapped here, and the others are all near the Professor, and who are all brainwashed. Also, there's no real need to infiltrate either, as far as I'm aware."

"I guess" he said shortly. "But it still feels kinda - uh, what's the word?"

"How about this then?" she asked, cutting across his question. "If Cathy does join up, you can be in charge of training her."

"Huh?" Den breathed, entirely surprised as he stared at her.

"That way, you'll feel even more experienced as a member of this team" she added, completely sincere. "You're no longer a beginner, Den, and I think you're coming along nicely, even if your schoolwork leaves something to be desired."

"Hey" he said semi-indignantly, even as she giggled.

"Besides" Sophie added, arms still crossed, but friendly. "Now you'll be a role model, which should help."

"With what?" he asked after a moment, seriously feeling like he was missing something.

"Den, I understand wanting to be like Lok" she said, perfectly gentle. "And a little hero worship isn't a bad thing. But it's also important to be your own person, instead of trying to copy another."

Den opened his mouth, stalled quite a bit, and tried again to the same result. "...you think I'm copying Lok?"

"Truthfully, no" she said, then tilted her head a little. "However, I don't want to see you go down that path; you're much too strong for that."

He didn't know how to respond.

/

Around the same time, Zhalia simply wandered around outside.

 _"Poor Cathy"_ she thought, looking around. _"She certainly wants to help out her family, but that was quite a bombshell we dropped back there; she's lucky she took it 'that' well."_

Then something crunched nearby, and she was instantly alert, looking around the trees carefully. When another few sounded in rapid succession, she began to get an idea, but she didn't drop her guard. A little silence for awhile, then her lip curved, "I know you're there" she said, but lightly.

Seconds later, Cathy peeked around the tree, looking nervous, and a bit sheepish. "Uh... hey there" she breathed, with both tones.

She relaxed a bit, slowly folding her arms. "Had enough time to think?" she asked, gentle. "Or do you need more?"

Cathy grimaced slightly, but it passed quickly, her grip on the tree tightening. "I don't doubt that what you've told me is real" she said, stepping out from behind it, though she kept gripping it for now. "I know you're all not the deceiving or joking types. Still, what your head and heart believe can be very different... _and_ it's a lot to take in, like I said."

"No, I get it" Zhalia said simply, hand on her hip now. "And it's great that you seem fine."

Cathy made a sound, but slowly looked at her. "Fine will take longer" she admitted, letting go of the tree. "But, uh... my only example of all this is Cherit... I-I mean-"

"You want a little more demonstration?"

Her question startled Cathy, before, extremely hesitant: "...would you?"

She took a moment before she answered, subtly observing Cathy – the woman had just been through an emotional episode, seemed a little twitchy and unsure, but there were no other obvious signs of distress (crying included). As far as she could determine, all-in-all, Cathy was shaken, but otherwise legitimately fine.

Very interesting.

"I'd be happy to" Zhalia answered, pulling out Gar-Ghoul's amulet. "Just so you know though, Cherit is a special case. Titans live in Huntik itself, and are summoned through these special amulets, sometimes rings" she continued, holding it up for Cathy by the chain.

Cathy slowly came over, bending over and looking at the amulet very closely. After a moment: "Do they all talk?"

She shook her head. "Only two can talk in human language, Cherit being one of them" she answered, even as Cathy straightened. "The rest communicate telepathically, mainly through feelings, images and other means. And only with their partners."

"Oh... wow" Cathy breathed, though she was glancing between her and the amulet.

 _"Yeah, will take awhile before this all sinks in for real"_ Zhalia thought, not particularly surprised. Out loud, her voice was more mild, "You might wanna take a few steps back" she told Cathy, who quickly did so.

Then: _"Punish them, Gar-Ghoul!"_

The stone Titan came onto the scene instantly, briefly giving Cathy a look (which scared her enough that she fell over backward), then glanced at Zhalia. She merely thought to him that she was trying to convince Cathy that Titans are real, to enlist her help. This mollified him, and he slowly settled in place on all four limbs, mostly keeping an eye on Cathy.

Zhalia knelt down beside Cathy. "It's okay" she said bracingly, pulling her up.

"Wow, he's big" Cathy said, faint, but impressed.

Hmm. "He's certainly big, but when you count all Titans, their size varies widely" she said simply.

Cathy glanced at her, but mostly she looked at Gar-Ghoul, who was as silent and still as a statue (no pun intended). Then she tilted her head a bit, blinking: "Um... is that golden armor new, or was it always part of him?"

Zhalia glanced at Cathy, impressed that she'd picked that up so easily. "It is part of him, technically" she admitted, folding her arms. "But he didn't always look like this. If Titans and their human partners get close enough, the Titan 'Powerbonds', gaining new abilities and new changes to their appearances. Gar-Ghoul here is Powerbonded, hence the golden armor."

"Gar-Ghoul" she said faintly to herself, then looked back at Zhalia. "And uh, these 'Powerbondings' give them all golden armor?"

"So far as we've seen" she admitted, glancing at Gar-Ghoul, remembering the other examples she'd seen through their adventures. "Personally, I always wondered about that; you'd think it'd be different for each Titan. Usually it is, but they all get golden armor, for some reason."

That made Cathy's mouth twitch, almost into a small smile, then she looked back at Gar-Ghoul. "Still" she said finally, making a sound. "That was just about the coolest thing I've ever seen."

 _"She's getting there"_ Zhalia thought approvingly, though surprised. _"Other than earlier, possibly, she isn't having a single freak out-"_

At the same time, she had an instinct something was nearby - she looked, but nothing was there...

Always is when you look, but that doesn't mean 'it's nothing'.

"And of course, I have more than just him" she said amicably, pulling out another amulet (Gareon), letting Cathy glance at it. "Wanna see?"

"Uh... sure."

* * *

 _An hour later_

"Sophie's right, Den; _Findshape_ or _Mendwork_ , it's all about the focus. And I should know; I caused that jar to fall in the first place!"

"Did she flip out?" Den asked, interested.

Lok breathed out, leaning against the doorframe. " _Ohhh yes_ " he said; he could still hear her yelling. "She kicked me out to sit in the rain, until she discovered that she fixed it by instinct and called me back in - but I _think_ that was because the excitement caused her to forget."

Den slowly chuckled. "Never tick Sophie off" he said mildly, then started walking again. "Got it. Thanks, Lok."

"No problem" he said, slowly straightening up - however, Den slowly just at the end of the hallway, turning back toward him. "Den?"

A moment, then Den's lip curved a bit. "No, it's nothing" he said, walking off again.

At first, Lok was confused - saying 'it's nothing' never meant what it was supposed to - but eventually, he thought he got why; Den saw that he was moving on from his previous conflicted feelings. Just thinking about this threatened to bring them back up, but he knew his friends had noticed, and they were worried about him. He appreciated it; just wished he had an answer, to himself and to them. And at the same time, faintly wondering what he was gonna do next, he wandered into his room.

He'd probably need a minute on that one, and it didn't help that what he'd done was a complex matter-

-but it was also done.

"Never tick me off, huh?"

Surprised + jolted, he turned to see Sophie standing near the doorway, arms crossed but not actually hostile (she seemed more curiously amused, with flickers of noticing his recovery). "Oh, hey Sophie" he said sheepishly. "You heard all that?"

She slowly walked to stand near him, back to the wall, "Well, not all of it, but enough" she answered. "Actually, I'm surprised you still remember that incident so well."

"How could I not?" he asked softly, briefly throwing up his arms. "You were scary, Sophie."

She gave him the raised eyebrow look. "Oh really?"

"Yeah" he answered honestly, chuckling.

A moment more of the look, then Sophie smiled it off. "Then come here, Lok."

He easily did so, holding Sophie close in their hug, which they stayed in for a minute or so. During this little hug, Lok's vision wandered down at one point, and with his head being on Sophie's right shoulder at this time - well, once he noticed this, he had trouble looking away. However, this made something click in his brain, and he furrowed his eyebrows. There was something that he'd asked about Sophie, but never quite got the answer to- what was it again? _"Oh yeah"_ he thought, even as Sophie let go of their hug first.

"You sure you're okay?"

He glanced down, for a moment. "I'm not sure what I'm feeling" he admitted, looking at her. "But yeah, I'm okay."

Her fingers moved slightly, even as she talked. "As I see it, it's okay to feel conflicted" she said gently, assuring. "You've wanted to protect your sister, but felt bad about lying to her - then of course... uh-"

"Today" he breathed.

She slowly nodded. "Do you need more time to think?"

"Please."

At that, Sophie looked around twice, before:

"This is your room, right?"

Despite himself, he was surprised, both of them knowing that was kinda obvious. "Yeah" Lok answered, but glad she was helping him. "You like it?"

"A little too cluttered for my taste, but it's certainly charming" she said playfully, but not without softness. "I can see why you'd come in here to think."

He chuckled a bit, choosing to take the compliment as it was. "Thanks" he said softly, "But hey, Sophie?"

"Yeah?"

"I just remembered, I never got an answer to something" he said, feeling a bit embarrassed, but it was easier the second time. "But uh, I mentioned before how sometimes your normal outfit seems to defy gravity, and/or reality.

The expected surprise and embarrassment showed up on her face, but that soon diminished when she realized she never did answer him. "Oh, that" she breathed, a bit flustered. "Well uh, of course you know about Lord Casterwill and his four children-".

He nodded.

"-So well, anyway, the definitions for female modesty were much higher and stricter back then" Sophie continued, scoffing slightly, as if the definitions back then were completely unreasonable (he chose not to think about that). "And though it wasn't intentional, in the case of the women, their subconscious desires added something to their family magic; making sure dresses and skirts didn't compromise the woman's modesty, in any situation, applied to themselves and all future female descendants. According to record, they don't know how they accomplished that feat anymore than I do, but it was in direct response to a few unspecified incidents."

He was a bit surprised. " _Any_ situation?" he asked, his mind thinking that could lead to issues.

Sophie appeared to think along the same lines. "Well, any unintentional situation, at least" she said. "If the woman moved the skirt herself, or if she - uh, 'allowed' another to do the same, then it wouldn't do so. I've proven that first one, from experience at least."

He rubbed his head, trying to distract himself from the rush of heat those implications brought up (which was similarly reflected on her cheeks). "Okay, so there are exceptions" he said quickly.

"Yeah" Sophie breathed, quickly looking off to her right, before her gaze settled on a half-finished Rubik's cube. "And in either case, it's been passed down ever since, though I can't explain why. Magic likely plays a part, but I can't believe it's genetic."

"I wouldn't try to say it is; I barely get chemistry now" Lok said, which made her giggle, but her gaze remained on the cube. "Uh, why are you staring?" he asked, a little surprised.

"Well, it's not like you to leave a puzzle unsolved" she said mildly, picking it up.

He carefully took it from her, thinking it looked familiar. "Yeah" he said faintly, trying to think back. "When did I try to solve this? Uh, hmm... oh, I tried it days before I came to Italy! Mom called me down for dinner, and apparently I was distracted from it ever since."

Sophie giggled again. "Well, apparently you can forget things."

Lok gave her a playful look, hands already twisting the Rubik's cube. "Not for long" he said, and sure enough after fifteen twists, he'd gotten all sides the same color again. "See? Now it's finished!"

"That's not possible" she said, utterly disbelieving.

"You wanna give it a try?" he asked.

"Well, no, but it's still not _that_ easy!"

/

"So uh, these rivals and enemies of yours, what's their approach to fighting? I mean, how far are they willing to go?"

Zhalia made a sound, both of them approaching the front door slowly. "Well, our rivals are restrained, but the Blood Spirals do fight a bit dirty, all of them" she said, walking just behind. "Generally kicking our legs out from under us, or attacking one person with multiple spells. At best, these can throw you for a loop, wound in the worst cases."

"So they don't aim to hurt?" Cathy asked hesitantly.

She slowly sighed; Cathy knew as well as she did the question was naive, but she was holding onto it, hoping the obvious answer wasn't true. It'd make her feel bad to crush that hope, but what choice did she have?

"They do, Cathy" she said wearily.

Cathy's hand paused just before the doorknob.

"I know that's not what you want to hear" she added after a moment, feeling bad. "But I can't lie about how serious this is."

When Cathy turned, it was slowly, but surprisingly, her expression hadn't changed much... though on closer inspection, it didn't hide the increased nervousness _at all_. "I don't doubt it, really" she said, faint. "It's just hard to wrap my head around... but uh, I appreciate the truth now, rather than later."

Cathy turned the doorknob then, stepping inside – Zhalia looked after her carefully, before looking behind her, still suspicious about her earlier feeling. Even as she did so, a shimmer beside her turned into Gareon, his eyes watchful. Instantly, through their bond, she saw his various scoutings of the area, all moving fast but slow enough that she could make sense of things. Technically, what she saw was perfectly innocent, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Gareon wasn't convinced though, and neither was she. Still, she could barely search the area, not when Cathy and the others expected her back.

Sighing a bit, she recalled Gareon, then she followed Cathy inside, closing the door behind her.

She saw Den talking with Sandra-

-the latter of whom noticed Cathy right away: "Cathy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom" she answered, though still faint. "Really, I am."

Sandra looked at her for a moment, then she smiled a bit. "I know" she said, though a little choked up. "And I'm sorry we've kept all of this from you" she continued, upon which Cathy looked troubled. "Still, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to help Lok out; I just worry about both of you."

Cathy briefly gave her mom a hug. "I know" she said weakly, pulling back. "And well-" she started, before the heavy footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted her.

"Catch me if you can-Woah!" Lok called up the stairs, tightly turning at a run, and narrowly avoiding ramming into all of them. Luckily, Sophie was more careful on the turn, so she had enough time to stop before this became an issue. Both of them were surprised when they registered everyone present, as well as the fact that their playful fight (if that's what it was) could wait.

"Cath" Lok said, before getting worried. "Are you okay?"

Cathy glanced at Sandra for a moment, then made a sound. "Sure I am, little bro" she said, but weak.

"So" Sophie breathed, hesitantly. "Have you decided?"

Cathy slowly crossed her arms, looking down slightly. "Well, I don't know too much about this, any of it" she started, then looked back up. "But... i-if there's any way I can help find dad, or even just be there if you do... how can I turn it down?"

All around there were various reactions, though Sandra's was the worrying type.

Cathy looked around at all of them, making another sound. "Just one thing" she said, then quickly, intently: " _Please_ don't throw me into the thick of things!"

Lok made his own sheepish sound, slowly clapping his sister on the shoulder. "Wouldn't think of it, Cathy" he breathed, a little choked-up, but sincere.

...

Outside, the trio of Silent Soldiers covertly saw this action, just close enough to hear every word they had said, one Soldier ending the spell responsible for that, just before Cathy's next question (about how long this would take; worried about college). After a look with each other, they hurried away to join their commander, who glanced at the house from behind a thick tree that concealed all of them.

Murdock smirked a bit, then erased all evidence of their tracks.

/

"You showed your Titans to Cathy?"

"Yeah, I did Den, at least a few of them. Summoned them, had her look them over, and generally had a civil conversation; nothing dramatic."

"Well, I'm not sure that's what I would have done; I might have given her more time before doing that."

Zhalia replied to that, Sophie and Den continuing their conversation as they packed up on the other side of the room, Cherit assisting them. Right now, he and Cathy were on this side of the room, Lok helping his sister pack for the trip back to Italy. She'd been quiet, understandably, but he still felt a little bad about this. He continued to organize things, occasionally hand them over to his sister, but the awkward silence was killing him.

"Are you mad at me?" he eventually asked, faint.

Cathy's movements paused, but she didn't react otherwise.

"About keeping all this from you?"

After a few seconds, Cathy looked at him. "'Mad' is too strong a word, to describe what I'm feeling, bro" she said faintly. "But... I don't think it's 'really' bad either."

He slumped a little, relieved.

"Also, least from what I've heard, you did it with the intent of keeping me safe" she continued. "And I can tell it hurt you to lie to me."

Slowly, he looked back at her, and she didn't look away - he saw that she was still subdued from everything. He also saw that this had affected her, as it did him, this being the first real 'incident' between them. He knew better that to think it would completely destroy their bond, but still he worried about everything. Despite this though, he worked his mouth a little, and stepped closer. "It'll be okay, Cath" Lok said, trying for assuring, and sure he wasn't entirely succeeding. "We'll find dad."

"I _really_ hope so" she breathed, slowly stepping into the hug, her grip tight. "I've missed him so much. I might need to hear his story though, before it sinks in..."

"To see how you feel?"

"Yeah."

Internally, he understood - he knew it wasn't dad's fault that he'd left. He _knew_ that, but his heart still throbbed slightly; dad had been missing from his life for years, and it stung. Cathy might not know the real reason yet, but she must be feeling the same somewhere deep down. He didn't think it would ever be enough to stop her happiness/relief/etc, and he intended to make sure she felt those. He knew he certainly did...

Lok hugged his sister tighter.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Things are beginning to come together - poor Cathy though, having to adjust to the revelation, and continuous new information, all in a short time. As well as poor Lok, feeling bad about lying to his sister, and his having dropped a bombshell on her.**

 **Stay tuned.**

 **Fun fact though: A Rubik's Cube can actually be solved in 26 moves, from any configuration - and this is from a cube that has 4.3252x10 (19th power) possible configurations [not making this up]. Crazy, right?**


	9. Family, Pt 2

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Grier visits Dante in New York, and the two old rivals catch up, both in official matters and personal matters. Grier remains disgruntled at the forced removal of his subjects, but now he intends to help out in the war against the Blood Spirals, in addition to subduing The Professor. Back in Ireland, Cathy is overwhelmed by the knowledge that Titans and magic exist, but despite this, she manages to form a friendship with Zhalia. And in the end, despite the risks of joining, her answer is to help out the team.**

* * *

 _"Family, Pt. II"_

 _Episode 61_

* * *

 _Venice Marco Polo Airport_

 _Venice, Italy_

"So Cathy, welcome to Venice, again."

"What do you mean, 'again'?" she asked her brother, taking luggage from the handlers, and lightly rubbing at her ear. A good night's sleep and quality time with them had appeared to drain away most of her initial reactions, if not the worry.

Lok shouldered his pack, smiling even as Cherit wriggled in there to hide. "Didn't you say you were gonna come to Italy for a little break, the second-to-last time we were back at home?"

She made a sound, even as Sophie, Zhalia and Den joined them. "I did, but that time I came here through the other airport, the cheap one" she said, glancing up in thought. "What was it called again?"

"Treviso?" Sophie supplied.

"Yeah that's it" she said quickly. "Anyway, I only saw part of Venice; so I'm bound not to know everything around here."

Anything else they might have said was interrupted when a small limo pulled up near them - surprising Cathy - the doors opening, LeBlanche and Santiago getting out. "Lady Sophie, it's good to see you again" LeBlanche said, doing a short bow with hand-to-chest gesture, mimicked by Santiago.

"Likewise, both of you" she answered, looking at all of them. "Shall we?"

...

A little while later, they were all sitting in the limo together, LeBlanche driving and Santiago beside him. Zhalia was reading, Den was listening to more music, plus Sophie was sitting next to Lok (but at a respectable distance). Cherit remained inside Lok's pack, as the windows of the limo where still easily see-through, and they didn't want to risk anyone catching a glimpse of him. Cathy sat across from them-

"So what, Sophie, you're one of those rich folk?" she asked, still surprised. "You didn't give off that impression, exactly."

Sophie gave a little smile, hands on her lap. "Well, I certainly am rich" she said. "But I don't flaunt it by buying everything in sight, like the stereotypes. But disregarding that, I'm not rich for traditional reasons."

"Why's that?"

"Remember what I said about the Titans, Cathy?" Lok asked in Sophie's place, to which Cathy nodded. "Well, Sophie's ancestors were the first ones to make the amulets, to use Titans to stop the world from being destroyed. So, she's kinda a big thing in the Huntik world."

"' _Kinda'?_ " came from both Sophie and Cathy, to their surprise at the other saying it.

Lok stammered sheepishly for a bit. "Okay, so she is a big thing" he directed at both women. "Sophie's the direct descendant of that same ancestor, Lord Casterwill."

"That's pretty amazing" Cathy said, looking a bit excited before a thought occurred to her. "Though I admit, that must also place a lot of responsibility on you."

"It does" Sophie admitted, before she smirked a little. "But it wasn't exactly forced on me; I chose to take it on, even as I was raised to be a Seeker from birth."

"And in either case" Lok added softly, taking Sophie's hand, which quickly got her attention. "I didn't fall for Sophie because of her family connections; it was because of who _she_ was."

Sophie's cheeks turned pink, and looked like she was gonna break out in a grin, but eventually settled on warming looking at their joined hands.

Cathy gave them three seconds, then: "So uh, anyway" she said playfully, startling them slightly. "Speaking of being raised, how do LeBlanche and Santiago there (she briefly pointed) fit into your world?"

After a brief glance at Lok, Sophie looked at Santiago in the driver's passenger seat. "Well, Santiago's job is essentially to be a bodyguard of my family, me in particular" she said, with a little smile. "Some would just call him a servant, but he's more than that; he's family too at this point."

"Aw, how sweet" Cathy breathed, glancing at him herself. "And LeBlanche?"

Sophie's expression changed a little. "An old family friend" she said, but not without some gratefulness. "He's raised me since I was a little girl."

Cathy must have realized the implications, because an inkling was in her expression. "W-what about your parents?" she asked, almost nervous.

There was a hitch in Sophie's voice as she replied: "They-" she started, only to close her eyes. "My home was burned down, by K- by an arsonist. I never saw them again, and I thought I lost my brother too until months ago..." she continued, but she couldn't go on. Lok's hand found hers again, and though she didn't look, she squeezed back. And despite what they were doing, Den and Zhalia had subtle reactions to this as well, alongside Cherit shifting inside the bag.

"I'm so sorry, Sophie" Cathy said in a hurry. "I shouldn't have asked that-!"

"No" she breathed, stopping Cathy. "No, really, it's-it's okay, Cathy."

Despite her assurance, Cathy didn't ask anything else for awhile, looking guilty - but no one could truly blame her.

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Later_

Near the front of the procession, Sophie stood next to Cathy, watching LeBlanche unlock the front door of her mansion.

"Mansion, of course" she heard on her right, making her smile; she'd heard a few similar comments.

"I'd like to think it's small compared to most, Cathy" Sophie answered, to help ease her.

Cathy looked at her. "Well, I'll see for myself, won't I" she responded, even as a faint click sounded and the door opened.

So they all stepped inside. Cathy was immediately struck by the simple home appeal of the place, even as it had an undeniable grandeur to it, and she took quite her time looking everything around. Lok deposited his pack on the table, said "Okay, Cherit, we're inside", and Cherit immediately came out flying with a "Very good." Den briefly glanced at Sophie herself, then something appeared to click in his expression and he ran off in a hurry - Zhalia merely excused herself, though she did glance after Den with a raised eyebrow.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to show Cathy around the place" she said to Lok.

He nodded. "Go right ahead, Sophie" he said sincerely. "This is her place as well as ours now, least for the time being."

That settled, she turned to Cathy. "Shall we?" she said, startling Cathy a bit from her inspection.

"Uh, what?"

"Shall I give you the tour?" she asked patiently, gesturing a hand in one direction. Cathy made a sheepish noise, but she followed behind.

...

"Upstairs on the highest floors are the bedrooms" Sophie continued, then going past the staircase. "Down here, from the ground floor to this second one, we generally hang around. This includes official missions and research, school homework for Lok, Den and myself, and your average goofing off."

Cathy noted her slight reproach at that last bit. "You don't approve?" she asked, straightening up from her examinations.

Sophie gave her a rueful smile. "Don't get me wrong, I still goof off myself every now and then" she said mildly. "But sometimes, Lok and Den can take things too far. One time I got soaked, and I was _not_ happy."

"I can imagine" Cathy said sheepishly, then she looked down. "And look, Sophie, I'm sorry about earlier; I really shouldn't have-"

"Cathy" Sophie stated, stopping her. "I'm not mad, offended _or_ upset by your asking" she continued, to Cathy's surprise. "It's true, that experience was traumatic for me, and I've had a fear of fire for a long time, but I've made my peace with it. It's not really that much of a sore subject anymore."

Cathy brought a hand up to her chest, relieved. "Good" she breathed sincerely, "I'd hate to have upset you, Sophie."

"Thank you" she answered, turning to continue the tour, where they arrived at large room with a monitor. "Anyway, this is the briefing room, where we frequently get calls to go on missions."

"Doing what, exactly?" Cathy asked, briefly surveying the screen before looking back at her.

"Various things" she answered, going over and sitting down (the tour was more-or-less complete by now). "Mostly it's travel across the world, finding Titan amulets and special artifacts to bring back."

Cathy hummed a bit, before she joined Sophie on the other side of the couch. "My little bro said that knowing about this world could have really messed up school" she said mildly. "Now I know what he meant: traveling for hours on end, and messing up your body's circadian rhythms by going back-and-forth across the world for weeks..." she continued, looking back at her. "All that on top of homework and classes? I see why he kept me out of it, at least a little."

"That's right" Sophie said softly, arms crossed. "Lok really did want to keep you out of danger. The fact that he needs your help shows how much finding your father means to him."

Cathy mostly looked at her hands, though she did glance at her. "I do hope we find him" she said faintly. "But, the way mom and 'stinker' wouldn't talk about his disappearance in front of me gave a serious implication that he was dead, or something like that. Finding out he was alive, and that they'd kept this from me?"

She didn't say it, but she didn't have to: Sophie saw the flicker of her miffed expression. And she recalled the way Cathy had jumped up with a yell, startling all of them - it must have been hard; no wonder she'd needed a little time to herself. The sudden awareness of a new world would throw anyone for a loop, but add her father suddenly being confirmed alive?

"Did they know though? The entire time?"

"That your father was alive?" Sophie asked, Cathy nodding. "No" she continued, shaking her head. "They hoped, but they didn't have proof, until a few months ago. Still, don't blame Lok though-"

"I'm miffed, Sophie, not angry" Cathy cut her off, but it was with a small laugh, looking straight at her. "I know Lok just as well as you do; he's a stinker, but he's a very good little brother" she added playfully (Sophie had to agree). "And aside from planning a little sisterly get-back, I plan to do my best to help... even if all this won't sink in properly till much later."

"That's the spirit" she said approvingly. "And I might have a few ideas about how to get back at him-"

* * *

"Do you think you wanna ask him, Cherit?"

"I will certainly try, Lok" the Titan said cheerfully, flying level with his head. "If he's not too busy, that is."

"Of course" he agreed, then they both stepped/flew over the boundary to the next room, where they stopped. Den sat at the table, writing fast and furiously, even now and then looking things up from the fairly heavy math book open to him. By the look of it, things were going by well enough even with the urgency. Lok found himself reluctant to disturb him when he recognized this; he'd had similar sessions, a number of which he'd struggled on. But to their surprise, he finished a minute later and leaned back in his chair, as if he'd just finished a great task.

"Finally!" they both heard him breathe.

"You okay?" Lok asked, stepping closer.

While surprised that Lok had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, Den otherwise nodded. "Yeah, just finishing up some advanced math homework that I forgot was due" he said wryly, gesturing at the paper. "Literally, due in a few hours. Sophie would have killed me if I'd been late."

Chuckling, he came to Den's side, looking over the homework (could only make sense of half of it, but that might have been how briefly he'd glanced). "I think she'd be more along the lines of annoyed exasperation, then have you get it done no matter what" he added.

"Either way I was dead" Den snarked, lightly rubbing his temples for a few seconds; both of them laughed.

"Hey Den, since you're no longer occupied" Cherit started, coming to sit on the table, "can I ask you about your trip to Huntik again? This time to ask you to draw what you saw?"

Den was again surprised, but he was quick to reply. "Uh, sure you can" he said, then glanced up. "You're interested too, Lok?"

"Well, my official position is 'I wouldn't mind', but I'd also like more details" he said mildly. Both of them laughed a little, again.

"Okay, well-" he stopped himself, glancing up for a moment, then quickly digging around for something. "Actually, this might look better if I didn't do it entirely in pencil. Lok, do we have any crayons?"

"Uh-" he breathed, quickly looking around.

He was sure they had some somewhere, as a sort-of gag emergency utensil thing, but where did they keep them? "Over there" Cherit pointed excitedly, and true to his words, Lok saw them. A quick trip to and from, and he'd placed the crayons on the desk, where Den had dug up a blank sheet of scrap paper. "Thanks, Cherit, Lok."

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Den worked on the paper, first with pencil for the outlines then with crayon for color. As he worked, Lok saw what appeared to be a plateau and a volcano, but the rest didn't make much sense without color. He looked at Cherit during this time, and found the Titan strangely transfixed on Den's work- wait, why was it strange? This was a sorta-glimpse into what his home looked like, or part of it at least; he'd be doing much the same if he was Cherit.

Yup, that was a plateau with grassy plains on both sides. The volcano had a wasteland surrounding it (perhaps it had recently erupted, and nature hadn't yet recovered), but the forest experiencing heavy snowfall right next to it made him disbelieving; he might not be the best at geography, but he was pretty sure nature didn't work like that. When he voiced this, Den patiently said that's what he saw and continued working, though with a mild look that said he didn't get it either. Completing the image was a desert, with some fairly big river beside it. Okay, that part made some sense; Egypt was sorta desert-like, and it still had a major river running through it.

"And done" Den breathed faintly, carefully flexing his entire hand; had to be cramping from homework _and_ drawing.

"Yeah" Lok agreed, then touched the exact middle of the plateau. "So this is where the Nexus is? Er, was?"

"It was" Den admitted (rather faint at the memory), then tapped a spot that was near the volcano, but not quite in the wasteland area. "We found the Professor and the Organization suits somewhere around there. We don't know if that was at/near their base, or if they were just there. Actually, we don't know if there was a base at all."

Lok made a small hum, studying the map for awhile. "Well, Huntik is another dimension; who knows what's allowed there?" he said faintly, shrugging.

"That's almost exactly what Zhalia said" Den said mildly, then he noticed Cherit. "Uh, Cherit?"

"Hmm?"

Den glanced at Lok, then took a few moments to reply. "Is any of this stirring your memory?" he asked gently.

"No" he answered, still as cheerful as ever. "But staring at this drawing is enough to give me a strong feeling of home!"

This wrung a small grin out of both men, as well as a glance between them. "If you wish, you can keep that drawing" Den added softly. "As a reminder of home-"

He didn't get much farther because Cherit slammed into him. This plus the sheer surprise/shock of it all knocked Den out of his chair, Lok briefly frozen from this surprising act. Den stared bewilderingly at Lok, then at Cherit - but by expression alone, he saw that Cherit was hugging him (something Lok soon realized without a word too). With a rather sheepish chuckle, Den brought his arm up, hugging Cherit back.

* * *

"So about this Seeker magic you do-" Cathy asked, she and Sophie still sitting, "-is it inherent, or can anyone do it?"

"Well-" Sophie explained, having her hand 'glow' with a Boltflare spell, but not releasing it (after the surprise, Cathy watched with absolute fascination). "Having an inherent ability does help, but with proper training, we've found anyone can do so. Zhalia and Den's parentage is still unknown, but they're some of the best Seekers we have."

"When you say unknown, does uh, does that include to them?" Cathy asked slowly, glancing up from the spell.

She glanced down. "Unfortunately, yes" she answered. She opened her mouth to say more-

"Perhaps you should let me explain that, Sophie."

Both women looked up, seeing Zhalia standing by the doorway. "Zhalia" Sophie exclaimed, standing up. "I-"

"It's okay" she said mildly, straightening up. "If Cathy's gonna get the stories about me and Den, she should get it from someone who experienced it first-hand."

Sophie considered this for a moment, and felt she couldn't beat that logic, so she looked at Cathy. "I'll be downstairs, should you need me" she said, to which Cathy nodded. After she left, Zhalia slowly took her own seat, but in a chair instead of the couch.

"Okay, Zhalia" Cathy said, briefly thinking. "I guess I'll choose Den's story first."

"Very well" she said amicably. "I was the one assigned to follow the Blood Spiral's movements that day, and when I stumbled upon them, they had gone to an orphanage to do some recruiting."

"An orphanage?" Cathy asked, looking and sounding outraged. "They were trying to recruit _kids_!?"

 _"That's much how Sophie reacted"_ Zhalia thought mildly, eyebrow briefly raised - out loud, she continued like normal: "Yeah, they went after the older ones, the teenagers. Den and his brother Harrison were two of them."

Cathy leaned forward intently. "What happened?"

"Well, before the actual recruiting, I saw a bunch of bullies pick on Harrison" she said, remembering it vividly. "Den came in to protect his brother, and he whupped them with little effort. Even impressed me with his skills."

That made Cathy smile a little.

"But, that bullying also highlighted their personalities" Zhalia continued, more quietly. "Den was protective, while Harrison was sick of the bullying, and wanted to hurt them back."

Cathy's face fell slowly. "He-" she said slowly. "Harrison, he accepted their offer - didn't he."

"Yeah" she said faintly, looking at Cathy. "Den tried to stop him, but he was overpowered by Harrison's new buddies, and Harrison had already become drunk with his new power. Luckily, me and Dante happened to save Den, and offered him a place here, so he could try and save his brother. He accepted, and the rest is history."

"But what about Den's brother?" she asked, worried. "Is he still, well-"

"No" she said immediately, looking straight at her. "Those two brothers had a bunch of fights, and Harrison resisted all efforts to convince him otherwise. Then at one point, I infiltrated the Blood Spirals, and he saw 'me' as an ally. When he saw me again much later, unmasked - the one he blamed for 'splitting him and Den apart' - he just fell apart, and Den finally got through to him. Now, he's working for the Huntik Foundation, just on another team."

Cathy, who had been on the edge of her seat, leaned back into the couch with a sigh. "Well that's a relief!" she said earnestly, sitting back up just as quickly, though after a few moments. "I'd hate to fight Lok if I was in Den's place!"

"Anyone would."

"Okay" Cathy breathed. "Den's covered, I think, which just leaves-"

"Me" Zhalia finished for her. "Well, much like Den, I was raised at an orphanage - except I was taken in much earlier."

"The uh, those 'Blood Spirals' you mentioned?"

"No" she admitted. "Too early for them yet. I got taken in by a man named Klaus, who raised me to be an Organization seeker, as well as a very good infiltrator."

"'A very good infiltrator'" Cathy repeated faintly, looking at her carefully now. "Did they- did they ask you to infiltrate _this_ team? And betray them later?"

She slowly breathed out. "...Yes" she admitted quietly.

Cathy was silent for awhile. "What happened?" she finally asked.

She quirked a small smile, finding it interesting Cathy was waiting for her side of the story _before_ getting suspicious. "My feelings happened" she said mildly. "For the members of this team. Lok I simply liked; Sophie and me had a rivalry, but a fairly good one; and Dante-" she started, before she made herself stop, trying to force the heat away from her cheeks. "Ah, anyway, when the time came for me to betray them, I was uncertain. I kept putting it off, lying to the Organization that I couldn't find an opportunity, and the works."

Cathy's look was understanding, but she didn't say anything; just listened.

"By the time we were near the big confrontation with the Organization, I was purely conflicted. Klaus accused me of being a traitor, and Sophie was highly, _aggressively_ suspicious of me, but I didn't want to hurt any of them. Then I just kinda lost it for a time."

"You attacked them?" Cathy asked, but without any reproach.

"Yeah, I attacked Lok and Sophie" she said quietly, closing her eyes. "They weren't badly hurt or anything, but I didn't hold back, and it was only after I was finished that I realized what I'd done. So, I went to help Dante, and the whole thing after that just..."

"Came into the open?" Cathy finished for her. "Let me guess: they were all miffed?"

"Well, Dante never doubted me, even though he knew long before that. Lok and Sophie were still angry that I attacked them, but they did understand... so yeah" she said, a little uncertainly. "I've officially been with the Huntik Foundation since."

"Well I'm glad you are" Cathy said earnestly. "To be honest, even though I don't know you too well yet, it's nice to have a mysterious older sister to look up to."

Thoroughly surprised, she stared at Cathy-

-who threw up her arms a little sheepishly. "What? Sometimes it's hard to set the example, though not the mysterious part" she said mildly, but sincerely. "It'll be nice to have it be the other way around sometimes."

 _"Wow"_ Zhalia thought, almost in disbelief. _"The entire team I get, but Cathy? Just like that?"_

* * *

Quite a bit later, everyone was gathered in the same room, though for different reasons. Lok and Sophie were having a conversation together, involving Den's drawing and what Huntik could be like if this was part of it. Zhalia sat in an armchair reading, but occasionally she seemed to focus inward on something, though her expression didn't change much. Cathy sat waiting at a desk; the same desk Den was heading towards in fact, Cherit on his shoulder.

"All right" Den said, with some effort because he was carrying a very heavy book in his hands, along with a much smaller one. "Lok wants you to start off with some light reading, to catch you up on a few things."

She raised an eyebrow at what he was carrying. "Please don't tell me all that's 'light reading'."

Confused, he glanced at the books he was carrying. "Oh" he said quickly, thinking she meant the large book. "No, no no no no" Den continued quickly, putting both down with a distinct groan/sigh of relief. "Just this one (he picked up the smaller book, handing it to her); I only needed this other book to check up on something."

She couldn't hide her relief if she tried. "Well, thanks for that" she said, to which he nodded.

"I wouldn't worry, Cathy" Cherit said, moving onto the table near Cathy. "Lok said he wasn't gonna throw you into things, and he meant it."

She smiled a bit. "Thanks, Cherit."

"And also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me!"

"He knows his stuff" Den added mildly, even as he opened the big book.

/

"I still really don't get how a volcano and a snowy forest could be side-by-side, even with it being another dimension" Sophie said faintly, leaning over the hand-drawn map a bit. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was surprised Den could draw this well, even if it was no masterpiece... though perhaps that might have been his orphanage upbringing.

"That's kinda what I said" Lok agreed, just to her right. "Though, I was a bit more willing to let the whole 'new dimension' angle explain it."

She glanced at him, then back at the map, fingers to her chin in thought. "One thing though" she added. "What did Zhalia mean in her report, about 'semi-fluid'?"

Lok glanced at Zhalia briefly. "Well, when I asked, she said it was just a hypothesis" he started, to which Sophie nodded in understanding. "Either way, she says she saw this faint mist stuff everywhere; the sky, land, you name it. She thinks it may be a sign that Huntik is constantly changing, and what she and Den saw is only how it looked right then. The sky does so every second apparently, but the land's rate is much slower, or so she said-"

She listened with absolute fascination; oh how she wished she could see this all for herself!

"Lady Sophie?"

Jolted, she turned, seeing Santiago by the doorway, looking somewhat reluctant. "Yes?"

"You have a visitor here to see you. He was quite insistent about it too."

"He?" she asked, dourly wondering who was disturbing them, and hoping they had a very good reason.

'He' revealed himself by walking in the doorway, going a little past Santiago.

"Lucas?" Sophie gasped, thoroughly surprised.

The entire room's mood changed a bit: Zhalia closed her book, eyebrow raised; Lok and Den had turned slightly guarded; even Cherit appeared hesitant. The sole exception to this was Cathy, who was understandably confused:

"Who's this?" she whispered in an undertone to Den.

"Her brother" he whispered back, but mostly watching.

Lucas didn't say anything for his part - he briefly looked across the room, making sure he knew where each person was, though he lingered on Cathy (but he didn't know her). "Sophie" he said finally, looking at her.

"Uh-" she breathed, before she cleared her throat hastily; he could only be here alone on business. "Lucas. Why are you here?"

He didn't waste any time: "Dante has recently been in contact with the Casterwill Elders" he said impassively. "He tells us that soon your portal-to-Huntik spell will be ready for testing. And when it's safe to use, you and Lok's team will go to Huntik yourselves, and confront the Professor and his army of Organization suits."

Her mood hardened slightly as she saw where this was going. "And let me guess" Sophie said with a trace of bitterness, crossing her arms + giving him a look. "You've come here to try and talk me out of it, under suggestions from the other Elders? Or worse, you have orders to physically attempt to stop me from doing so?

He stared at her evenly, but he didn't say anything... in fact, he was silent for so long that she became surprised, and she thought this might be what the others felt too. Eventually, Lucas closed his eyes and looked down slightly, then: "That's correct."

There was silence for a moment. "For which part?" she asked.

"Both" he merely said.

This simple answer infuriated her, and she longed to say a comment to express that. Still, she fought against it: "So?" she asked slowly.

His expression changed faintly; he appeared to internally arguing with himself, then he looked back at her. "Both are correct" Lucas repeated, sounding like the words were forced. "But, if there's one thing I've learned since I've found you again, it's that once you set your mind to something..." he continued before trailing off, then he recovered. "There's little-to-nothing I can do to convince you otherwise – the other Elders included."

She didn't know what to say to that, or even what she was feeling.

He stepped closer, till he stopped at two feet away. "Since I can't actually stop you, even if I tried under orders-" he said, then in one fluid motion, he took her wrist. She was surprised, and she thought she saw a protective motion from Lok, but Lucas had only straightened her arm, palm open and up.

"-I must protect you another way" he finished, placing something in her palm, before backing away a bit - he also let go of her at that point.

Hesitant and unsure, she slowly looked at the thing he'd placed in her palm. An amulet, silver in color with a large green stone set in the middle - realization hit her quickly.

"Templar?" Sophie breathed, looking at him. "But what about you?"

"I'll make do without him" he said dismissively, then he held his arms behind his back. "I'm also here for another reason, Sophie. Since you plan to be in Huntik for an unknown period of time, and since I figured you wouldn't come back with me whether I tried or not, the Elders will feel you cannot effectively lead our family from another dimension. Therefore, when that happens, I will speak to the Elders - I will say that I wish to take your place as leader of our family, for the duration of this mission. Another should take my place as well."

She was greatly shocked at this, and her first instinct was to say 'No way!', but she quickly clamped down on that impulse; it wouldn't do for her brother (who was an Elder by succession) to see her behaving like that. She couldn't afford to act weak or childish in front of him, especially since the Elders were barely on her side in the first place, and Lucas would have no choice but to report stuff like that. So after a bit of internal struggle, she composed herself well enough. "After I come back" she said, in a tone that permitted no discussion. "Will you remain leader of our family?"

"No" he answered impassively, hands still behind his back. "When you come back, the Elders will restore your position as the leader of our family, as I will stand down-" he said, before he grunted, teeth gritted. "But I fear I may not even get to take your place; I am defying orders to dissuade you, stop you from going, and I do not believe I'll get off easily for that."

He was trying, she blatantly realized - he was trying to adjust to her ideals, almost against his inbreed need to protect her! The one thing she was dying to say though, was that she wished he didn't have to take the heat; it could cost him his Elder seat. But as she was sure he'd argue, it had to be either one or the other. And though it was another option, she wasn't sure if her brother would lie and jeopardize his own position. "I-" she breathed uncertainly, but she forced that away too. "I guess I - I agree."

He merely nodded.

"And I'll certainly use Templar, you know, to keep myself safe."

"Even if you don't invoke him" Lucas said confidently. "He'll protect you regardless."

Blinking, she looked at him for an explanation, but he didn't answer.

"So, anyway" he started, sounding a bit warmer all of a sudden, "My business here is concluded" he added, before holding out his hand, formally. "I wish you well, Sophie."

She looked between his face and hand, several seconds going by - then she slowly raised her hand, grasping his.

Almost immediately afterward, Lucas pulled her forward (much to her startled gasp), and gave her a full-on hug. A very tight one at that.

He was trying; this literally couldn't be anything else! They hadn't properly hugged since they were children, despite seeing each other months ago. Her mixed feelings toward her brother remained so, but she couldn't suppress the warmth regarding the hug. Because of the surprise, she didn't hug him back at first, but eventually she did. It lasted only a short time, and when Lucas pulled away, he was trying to keep an impassive face - but he did smile a little.

After that, Lucas turned and left, glancing backward as he turned the corner.

The small tension visibly decreased afterward, and Lok quickly came over to Sophie (after a verbal sigh of his own), who was staring at the amulet in her hands. "Sophie, you okay?" he asked, unsure.

"I am, but surprised" she answered honestly. "Very surprised."

/

Over at the table, Den sighed; that was actually less tense than he'd thought it be. Cherit had also joined them after Lok stepped closer to Sophie.

"Wow" Cathy said, inwardly subdued. "Now I see why everyone was tense; I could see the clues from here."

He could only agree. "Yeah" he said, looking back at the doorway where Lucas had gone through. "He made an effort though, and she appreciated it – then and now."

"Still" Cathy noted, then lightly scratched at her temples. "Underneath the effort though, he seemed a little like... a jerk."

He slowly sighed, "Sorta" he said faintly. "Lucas is confident, proud and arrogant, and he's determined to keep Sophie safe, even against her will. Still, he can be reasoned with, thankfully."

Cathy actually shivered. "Glad I don't have him as a brother" she muttered, troubled.

 _"So she's not all nice"_ he observed after the initial surprise. _"Hmm."_

"At least he really does love her" Den said, with an attempt to defuse the situation. "And some of the Casterwills are like that; they seem hard, but underneath, there is good there... if sometimes hard to draw out."

"I second that" Cherit said cheerfully. "I was present at Sophie's trail, and that shadow version of Lucas was all of the bad parts, just very much worse."

Cathy gave off a small sound. "Then I guess I'm lucky I saw Sophie's good side first" she said faintly, as if she half-heard.

Den made a sound, brushing a hand against his head; this attempt wasn't going so well. He thought they both knew Lucas wasn't exactly a bad guy, but Cathy's issue seemed to be in his attitude, at least seemingly.

Cherit just seemed confused as he looked between them, and made a face.

/

Sophie looked at Templar's amulet for awhile longer, then realized something. "Lok" she asked. "Can you bring over your Holotome?"

He was briefly surprised. "Sure, but why?"

"If I'm gonna use Templar at all, or even consider it, I need to know what he's capable of" she stated, slowly sitting down by the window. "And to see what Lucas meant by his 'protect me regardless' comment."

"Got it" he said, glancing at the amulet before he ran off.

While she waited, she touched her fingers to her temple. _"Powerscan"_ she breathed, almost immediately sensing there was a magic embedded within the amulet, aside from the norm. She couldn't place what spell though; it wasn't one of the known ones.

Lok returned in short order with his Holotome, but he soon noticed what she was doing. "Find anything?" he asked, giving it to her.

"Well, I discovered this amulet is embedded with magic, but I can't place what spell it is" Sophie said carefully, opening up the Holotome. "And without that knowledge, I can't predict what it will do exactly."

This made him slightly grim, but he waited as Sophie took Templar's amulet and held it over the Holotome, which began scanning.

 _"Templar"_ the Holotome spoke, showing his 3-dimensional image. _"Attack: 5; Defense: 4; Type: Gaia-Titan Warrior; Special Ability: Energy Blades"_

"Analyze Seeker magic attached to this amulet" she ordered. "What is it's purpose?"

The Holotome hummed for a few seconds as it scanned further. _"Purpose of spell is an alternate method of Titan summoning, without Seeker invocation. No further information available from scanning; spell is not recognized in Huntik Foundation databanks."_

"Damn" Lok whispered, simultaneously awed and slightly disturbed. "He's still as extreme about protecting you as before."

She felt the latter as well, but she wasn't entirely surprised - then she felt strange that this kind of behavior from her own brother didn't surprise her. It was supposed to be nearly unacceptable, yet for her family, seemed commonplace-

She jolted; Lok's Holotome began blinking, indicating he had new mail.

Lok was also surprised, but he turned his Holotome around, queuing it up. "Hey, looks like we got a new possible Nexus location" he said, getting interested. "Apparently, Huntik Foundation has gotten the hint, because they assure this new location has a waterfall..."

She looked at him, wondering why he'd stopped, "Lok?"

He glanced behind her briefly. "Ah, it's just, if we only got one location, our entire team could go there" he said to her, before briefly looking worried. "But Cathy-"

"-we can't leave her alone" she realized, humming. "Well I mean, she'd certainly be able to take care of herself, but without us here, how would she continue learning properly? So no, the _entire_ team can't go, that's for certain-"

* * *

Outside her mansion, a few blocks away and on some rooftops, Kiel lowered his binoculars with a grin. Observing his prey was a joy, especially since their other means of spying didn't always get everything. Now though, all that remained was to get approval to wipe them out. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he demanded of the Soldiers with him. "Go report all this!"

They quickly followed their orders, but not before he'd yelled "And don't forgot asking to destroy them as soon as possible!" after them.

Then he returned to his spying, seeing the girl talking with her boy toy again, seemingly about the amulet again. What was so special about it?

 _"Eh, who cares?"_ he thought brusquely. _"Soon enough, I get to burn down this home of hers as well!"_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **I've been wanting to write this part for awhile, least back when I was still writing everything out :) Lucas really does mean well, but his upbringing made that 'kinda' difficult initially, due to his and Sophie's conflicting views. Now though, he's learning - still got a ways to go, but he's getting there.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	10. Instruction

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Cathy returns to Venice with the team, while at the same time learning more about the other members, gradually building her view of the Huntik world. At Cherit's request, Den manages to draw a rough map of his and Zhalia's visit to Huntik, which stirs the Titan's soul at getting a glimpse of his home. Training begins for Cathy, starting with the basics, and her training parallels that of Lok's first attempts. However, a surprise visitor, Lucas Casterwill, soon confronts Sophie about events the team plans to initiate.**

* * *

 _"Instruction"_

 _Episode 62_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

"Woah!" Lok breathed, avoiding a reach from Cathy, then he resumed his counterattack. "That's it, Cathy! Block, keep that stance, and wait for the right moment!"

This and more filled the room as Cathy and Lok went at it, both wearing white martial art gis. Both of them were gleaming with sweat, and trying out slowed-down versions of moves. Some distance away stood the watchful Sophie, also in a gi. They were taking over from Den, who was otherwise busy and couldn't be here at this time.

Lok followed up on his attack, then made sure neither of them moved; a little break. "Not bad, Cathy" he said, chuckling. "You seem to have a knack for this."

"Well, I don't know about that" she said wearily, wiping at her forehead.

He not-quite-so-playfully rolled his eyes. "You're _supposed_ to reply back playfully, Cath" he said, then relented with a smile. "But really, you're doing okay."

Cathy gave him a look when she realized she'd been had. "You are _such_ a stinker, little bro" she said, but it was with a little grin.

"Come on, I'm serious" Lok said, but chuckling. "You took four self-defense classes before, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago" she breathed, slowly back at the ready position. "I probably needed to relearn it."

He wasn't entirely sure if she was luring him in or not, so he didn't reply to that directly. "Okay then" he said, then glanced behind him. "Sophie, let's go."

"Got it" she said shortly, stepping up on Cathy's other side - Cathy herself looked noticeably more nervous about this aspect.

"Relax, Cath" Lok breathed, both gentle and with his game face. "Just remember to watch your surroundings, and don't make any sudden moves" he continued, to which she nodded faintly, looking between both of them carefully. This tense standoff lasted only for a few seconds, right before Sophie started the attack, and he soon after. Their movements were slow and more exaggerated than normal, but that was for Cathy's benefit. And it did work, as she managed to fend them off fairly well.

...

Lok breathed out, holding a towel over his shoulders. _"Cathy did well"_ he thought: she'd managed to hold them off throughout the entire session, even during the part where they stepped it up a bit, but she still needed to work on the counterattacks - as well as plain attacks, now that he thought about it. Then again, being this good at defense wasn't a bad thing, knowing how their enemies could use dirty tricks as often as not. _"But I guess I can't blame her for that; for the most part, she's only had to hit the books."_

No, that wasn't quite what he meant. _"Cathy has as much resolve and will as anyone"_ he amended, _"The problem must be that she's never truly fought before - and she doesn't want to hurt others."_

He pondered this for a bit longer; maybe he'd ask Cathy sometime soon, to make sure he knew what it was.

Beside him, Sophie seemed to think along similar lines. "Cathy did very well" she said, lightly pulling her hair over her shoulder, for what he didn't know. "But she's very hesitant, too hesitant in fact. It's almost like she doesn't have the nerve to fight us, even in this mock style – though I doubt it's actually because of a lack of nerve. It's more that she simply doesn't want to attack."

He agreed inside. "I'll have to talk to her about that" Lok said, a little worried. "As good as she's getting, defense alone is no way to win, and we're set up to start on Seeker spells and Titan summoning very soon. Maybe she hasn't heard the phrase that the best defense is a good offense."

Sophie gave him a mild look. "I'd argue about that, but we did just finish up a session" she said, putting her hair back to normal. "Now's not the time for another fight."

"'Another' fight? Oh, so you two aren't the perfect couple?"

Lok merely chuckled at the playful question. "Hardly, Cathy" he answered, the woman in question now sitting across from them.

Sophie gave off a fairly 'evil' smile. "I still give him looks every time he talks with his mouth full, or causes trouble" she whispered conspiratorially, to which Cathy started shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Hey!" Lok exclaimed as both women started laughing at him. "That's not funny!"

"It _is_ a little funny" Sophie breathed with mirth, hand over her own mouth.

Lok sighed, crossing his arms. "I get no respect" he said in a huff.

No one bought it; he was clearly saying it purely to say it, which admittedly, he was.

Not long afterward, Sophie got up and gently pulled Cathy aside, he remaining at his seat for the moment. "Alright, we've done enough martial arts training for right now" she started. "With you now knowing the basics, Cathy, it's time to start applying what you've learned to Seeker spells, with perhaps some Titan summoning after that."

Cathy started to dig into her pockets. "Not to discredit your knowledge or anything, but what's there to teach about summoning?" she asked, glancing at Sophie. "Isn't it just summon and that's it?"

"Not nearly" Sophie said mildly.

At the same time she said that, Lok saw what Cathy pulled out of her pockets; the amulets of Solar and Lunar.

 _"Promise you'll be alright, Cathy."_

 _"I will" Cathy breathed, holding onto mom._

 _They let go, before Sandra reached into her pockets. "All the same, please, takes these with you" she continued, sincere._

 _His sister was surprised, looking between them and mom several times. "M-Me? Are you sure? I mean, they're-"_

 _"Yes, they're mine Cathy, but I'm retired and they can protect you."_

The memory made him smile a bit.

"Every Titan and their Seeker have a bond" Sophie continued, bringing him back to the present. "Through it, we can sense each other's intentions and plans, and cover for each other's weaknesses. And in the case of the best connections, the Titan Powerbonds, and the possibilities only increase."

Cathy looked at the two amulets in one hand. "That sounds like it'll take awhile" she answered, then lifted her other hand. "Anyway, what was that spell you showed me before, again?"

"Boltflare."

"Yeah, that's it" she said faintly, then held up her free hand toward the wall, where she slowly focused. "Uhhh... _Boltflare._ "

Her hand managed to glow yellow for a tenth-of-a-second, but otherwise, nothing happened.

There was silence for a few moments, then: "Don't worry, Cath; you're not the only one who's had trouble with that simple spell" Lok said, drawing both women's attention. He was still miffed from their earlier laughing at him, but he'd pushed it to the background. "I had trouble when I first started out, and I gotta tell you, it's mostly because of the nervousness. You know, the feeling that you'll never get it."

"Then how do I get over it?" his sister asked, looking worried. "I may not be the best, but I don't want to drag you guys down!"

"It's just that you're unsure of yourself, Cathy" Sophie added gently. "Unsure about this side of you."

Lok stood up. "If it helps, you're a Seeker as much as I am, Cath" he said genuinely. "You've got the blood of both mom and dad, who were great Seekers."

Moments passed as those words sunk in, Cathy giving off a sheepish smile... then a surprised "Woah!" when he put her in a headlock.

"You just gotta practice some more!" he said playfully, laughing hard, amidst her equal cries of "I am so getting you for this!" Sophie herself was laughing at this display of a family squabble, but for the most part, she just looked amused.

"Hey guys! You gotta- Uh..."

Den had just looked in, only to stop at the sight of the three of them, with Cathy in a mock-headlock by Lok. But the surprise only lasted for a moment, as he shook it off: "Guys, we've got another visitor" he said quickly, to their surprise; Lucas was still fresh on their minds, despite that being a week ago. "You gotta see this" he said, turning back and running with a grin.

They looked at each other (Lok let go of Cathy), then laughed a little between themselves, before they also set off.

* * *

 _30 seconds earlier_

"You really couldn't have announced that you were coming?"

"Well" Dante answered mildly, "announcing has it's place, but sometimes the sheer surprise is far more effective. And look at the warm welcome I've gotten, even just from you, Zhalia."

"Don't forget about me!"

Cherit's comment helped, but she still had to struggle not to let her cheeks heat up, or look away from Dante. Her reaction from minutes ago; she'd been carrying a stack of books for Cathy's reading session ,after they were done training, when Dante had simply walked in the front door (he claimed he had a spare key, but she knew his Farslip was just as good). Needless to say... books had fallen, many of which she'd failed to catch in time. Dante had been cool about it and helped her, but they both knew he was amused, even if it had been brief. Luckily, Den's arrival and surprise had distracted them both, allowing her to regain some composure.

"So is this official?" she asked, arms crossed. "Or otherwise?"

He considered for a moment, but his eyes (and hers) turned when they heard rapid footsteps. "I'll guess that'll have to be said later" he said easily, turning even as Den, Lok, Sophie and Cathy filled into the room.

Lok and Sophie had the expected happy-surprised reactions; Lok clapped Dante on the shoulder, even as Sophie gave him a hug. Den hung back with Cathy, having already given his hellos - Cathy otherwise settled for a smile.

"You should have told us you were coming!" Sophie cried out, but it was faintly playful.

"That's what I said" Zhalia added, arms still crossed, earning her a brief surprised look from Sophie.

Dante merely chuckled. "It's already been should that I should have, and yet, here I am" he said simply. "The stated reason is because I bear gifts, but you all know the real reason-"

"-that you missed us" Lok added, grinning.

"Of course he did!" Cherit agreed, flying around Lok's head. "I think it's been far too long myself."

Dante nodded, though Zhalia could have sworn he _very_ subtly glanced in her direction. "That too, all of you" he said easily, then he started digging into the pockets of his trenchcoat. "Of course, business is still business" he continued, and before long, he held out the amulet of a Titan in his palm.

"Is that-?" Sophie asked, looking wary, something Lok visibly shared.

"Medusa herself" Dante supplied, low in volume. "Yeah."

Somewhat in the background, Cathy leaned in close to Den. "Medusa, as in, _the_ Medusa?" she whispered in an undertone, to which he slowly nodded.

"Is she even safe to use, Dante?" Cherit asked in worry. "You remember how resistant she is bonding!"

"I do" he said, glancing at the amulet. "However, among the search for Nexus', the Council had a minor debate about her, and believes we should at least try with her. I don't know, but they do have a point; if we don't try to bond, we may never know if she prefers a certain kind of individual. I've wondered who might be best for that" Dante continued, looking around at all of them, slowly turning toward Den. "I believe I know who can try."

Den was surprised, looking between Dante and Medusa's amulet several times. "Me?" he asked, glancing at her. "The way you were talking, I thought you meant Zhalia."

Dante made a small chuckle. "I have no doubt she'd do well with Medusa, but you have to consider that her King Basilisk already knows the Stonegaze ability, which is Medusa's whole motif" he said easily. "Something tells me I'd better avoid repetition this way."

He held out his hand slowly. "If she doesn't bond?" he asked, glancing at Dante.

"Then she doesn't, and I take her back" he said simply, now holding it between his fingers. "But I believe she just might. I hope I'm right."

For Den's part, he cracked a small smile; Dante usually was, because he was that good. Still, determined, he nodded, and Dante placed Medusa's amulet into his hand. The result was immediate: the jewel began to glow bright green, brightly enough that they had to partly avert their eyes (Cathy's first instinct was to raise her hands), and it began to shake on the spot. Den grunted, showing the strain of exerting his will against Medusa's, and this lasted for at least a full minute. Eventually, the glow dimmed to a lower level and stayed there, the amulet lying still against his hand.

A moment of silence, then Dante tilted his head. "Medusa has accepted you, Den" he said. "Well done."

"Uh" Den breathed for a long moment, then shook his head. "It might be too early for that, Dante" he continued grimly. "She did accept me, but very grudgingly, and I sense she might not serve me entirely."

Dante hummed a bit. "I see, Den" he said carefully. "If Medusa isn't entirely under control, you'd best make sure you know what sets her off, or if she's actually gonna obey you. But either way, I'm not asking that you make her a priority or anything-"

/

Even as Den responded to that, discussing what to do if she went wild, Lok slowly came over to Cathy. "You look worried" he said mildly.

She made a sheepish sound. "Sorta. Are they all that hard, or disobedient?" she asked.

"Not really" he said easily, looking at Medusa's amulet, still on glowing display in Den's hand. "But some of the stronger Titans, such as Medusa, take a lot more convincing and effort to bond with a Seeker, than normal I mean."

"Let me guess, a lot of the other named creatures in mythology are Titans?" Cathy asked, but looking more curious than nervous.

"More-or-less" Lok said, ticking them off on his fingers. "There's uh, Cerberus, Phoenix, Quetzalcoatl- all sorts of them, and we discover more even now and then."

"Seriously?" she asked, impressed despite her own question.

/

Back to Den, he continued to look at the amulet of Medusa.

He hadn't mentioned that he barely managed to earn that grudging respect - but perhaps he didn't need to, for Dante treated the issue of Medusa's obedience very seriously, even if working on her wasn't a priority. But he was far more worried about something else... after Medusa had reluctantly given in, for a moment, he'd seen something in his mind, like a vision or some such thing.

 _He'd seen himself and Medusa – who was out of her amulet – and he appeared to be yelling something at her. Then when she'd turned around, that look had given him chills. If it hadn't been a mental image, he had the distinct feeling it would have turned him to stone._

His fingers clenched over the amulet a bit, knowing to take Dante's suggestion very seriously-

"Also Den" Dante continued, pulling out another amulet. "Medusa may not be your only addition."

"Huh?" he breathed, jolted out of his thoughts.

"Even since I took the job on the Huntik Council, a lot of my spare amulets haven't seen much light" he said, giving the amulet a once-over. "Well, maybe even before that. Anyway, this is one of them, Den; my spare Springer."

Immediately after Dante said that, he saw the image of Lok's Springer: the way he could work it's way through locks, traps and most any tight corner that could be asked of him. He'd always been curious what it'd be like, to have one of his own, even if it was just for the looks (come on, he was a little cute). And also, it meant he would have another Titan to live up to expectations, Lok included.

"Do you want him?" Dante asked.

Den was about to whole-heartedly say 'Yes'... but something stopped him.

Almost unbidden, he recalled his talk with Sophie about no longer being a beginner, being in charge of Cathy's training, and her comments about his hero worship. Didn't he just think to himself that having Springer would help him impress Lok, indirectly?

The seconds stretched, and he thought he saw a bit of surprise, but Sophie was watching him carefully.

He did want to be just like Lok, but was it really okay for that to involve him copying his Titans? Or getting new ones just for the purpose of kissing up to him, even indirectly? Deep down, he didn't think so - even to himself, how this might look (or how it might make him turn out) wasn't okay.

He slowly drew himself back to the question at hand, a little troubled, but handling it: "Thank you, Dante" Den said shortly, with some effort. "But I think... I'll make do."

Dante seemed entirely surprised, though it only showed itself in the curve of his eyebrows.

He refused to let it distract him, since he'd already committed to this, and he wasn't about to give himself more opportunities to cave. "But-" he continued rather quickly, looking over at Cathy for a moment. "I think I know who'd like him even more."

More seconds passed as Dante discreetly looked over at Cathy, who was otherwise finishing up her conversation with Lok. "You make a good argument, Den" he said approvingly. "But I'm required to ask-"

"I'm sure!" he said quickly before he could change his own mind, making a slightly sheepish expression at his outburst. Because of this, he missed Sophie's vague approving smile.

Dante chuckled a bit, then turned toward Cathy, calling her name. "I've been thinking about who to give this Titan to" he said, which made her curious. "My first choice was Den, but he thinks _you_ would be better suited for it."

The curiosity turned to shock. "M-Me?" she stammered a bit.

"Well, you will need more Titans, won't you?" Den asked mildly.

"It will make things a little easier, Cath" Lok added, then with a grin. "And besides, Springer isn't a combat Titan; his area of expertise is in traps and puzzles."

"Really?" she asked, the shock seeming to die down from that (Lok nodded). "Uh-" Cathy breathed briefly, before she made a sound. "S-Sure, I'll take him."

Dante easily placed the spare Springer amulet in her hands, which briefly glowed, startling Cathy. "Wow" she said after a moment, seemingly looking at something far-off, though in the amulet's direction. "He feels different than the other two."

"Well, Solar and Lunar were in mom's possession" Lok said gently. "Through her, they unconsciously and unknowingly learned a lot about you, so I guess the bonding was _really_ easy. Springer's bond here is entirely new though, on both sides."

"Exactly" Dante said, then looked at Lok. "And though it's not standard, I'll need to talk to Zhalia myself for this next part, alone" he said mildly, which surprised everyone there. "Sorry everyone, but it's official business."

"Well, okay then" Lok said, a 'bit' nonplussed – he just looked at Sophie, who seemed just as confused.

* * *

Dante's sudden announcement that he'd need to talk with her alone had made her heart-rate spike, but she couldn't say that she hadn't been expecting it. Last time they'd talked via Logosbook, he did say there were a lot of small details to cover, which was best done face-to-face... hmm. Had to admit though, he'd chosen a rather flimsy pretense to get them alone, just announcing it to everyone under 'official business'. And had to make sure that they had a good reason for this 'alone' talk afterward, or else.

They were both silent as they walked onward, though frankly, Dante being this way surprised her slightly - eventually, they came into the briefing room, which was empty.

"Close the other doors, will you?" he asked, already doing so with the one they'd come through.

She did so, then after closing the last one, she breathed out. "You know, some girls might get the wrong idea" Zhalia said mildly, turning around, one hand on her hip.

He chuckled, holding up a hand. "Just wait" he said, then his finger began to glow and crackle - He aimed at the door they came through: _"Nearlock"_ he cast.

She watched with interest as the spell - colored a dark-orange - came out in the exact style as a Farslip. It soared into the lock of the door, and a distinct _click_ could be heard, then a brief shimmer over the lock itself. He repeated the spell twice more, and she watched as one spell went into the lock two feet away to her left, before looking back at him.

"Well, that's new" she slyly. "One Farslip though, and it seems we could break that."

He simply lowered his hand. "Others thought that as well" Dante said easily, putting his hands in his trenchcoat. "But in testing, one Farslip would only break the spell; it wouldn't actually unlock the door, for whatever reason. So therefore, you'd need another one to get the job done."

"So" she stated faintly, after a moment. "That means we'd get some warning, if anyone decides to burst in."

"We should. I wouldn't count on it though" he said, quieter than his usual, but gentle. "And you know, Zhalia - how can we talk business with you way over there?"

Her cheeks heated slightly, but she was grateful that he didn't phrase it more directly. So without a word, she slowly leaned away from the wall, and started walking forward. In the short amount of time, both of them heard the very-faint echo of her footsteps, right before she stopped two foot away from him. No closer, but he didn't appear to mind.

"You'd feel uncomfortable if the team saw you with me" Dante said gently. "Or if they saw you acting unlike yourself, right?"

"...yeah" she breathed faintly, glancing away for a few moments. "My image is this mysterious, cool older woman, which I basically am. They know it means I can have a moment here and there, but still, having them see me during those moments... could be really awkward. I'm not sure I could handle that well."

"I wonder about that" he replied, then hummed, glancing up for a moment. "Still, as we discussed, you want more of a secret thing?"

Zhalia fidgeted a bit on the spot, but she did look at him. "Uh, s-sure" she said, rather awkwardly; in fact, she mentally kicked herself for doing so.

Judging by Dante's smile, he understood. "Alright then" he breathed gently.

"...still, that could have been said a lot better" she snarked, mainly to distract herself + her own reactions, but Dante merely chuckled.

"Maybe" he said mildly. "But perhaps we'll leave the specifics unsaid when we meet up next, and let things go naturally" he continued, more gently. "That way, anyone who happens to read our Logosbooks won't even know."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You really think we'd let anyone read our Logosbooks?"

"Stranger things have happened" he said, shrugging.

After a moment, she conceded with a small humorous scoff. "They have" she breathed, soft.

The silence stretched for awhile, where she didn't know what to say or do next. However, Dante stepped closer, which instantly drew her attention, and they looked directly at each other. He slowly brought one hand up, which hesitated just a bit, then gently brushed itself against a section of her bangs. Her heart couldn't have beat faster-

"How do you do it, Dante?" Zhalia whispered, easier than she thought it'd be. "How do you manage this so easily?"

He didn't answer at first, merely let his hand slide down her face, till the back was gently leaning against her cheek. Despite herself, she'd felt a chill - a good one - go through her. "Actually, I don't really do anything special" Dante said softly, lowering his hand just as slowly, gentle. "But, I do think part of it isn't done by me, Zhalia."

She didn't say anything, but the meaning wasn't lost on her. "Dante, I-" she breathed, not sure what she was gonna say exactly... however, her hands found his shoulders on their own.

He merely smiled. "Zhalia" he whispered softly, hands slowly finding her sides.

Both them leaned forward part of the way, hesitant and yet excited, then she opened her mouth a little, even as Dante lowered his head. Unlike the last times, nothing interrupted them: their lips touched gently, and stayed that way for a little.

After they pulled apart, her cheeks were red; she was sure of it.

Dante smiled again, gently cupped her cheek, then pulled her back in again. She didn't mind; she stepped closer, one hand moving up to his neck, and the other down his spine. He mostly contented himself with her back, but he did toy with her hair at one point, fingers gently threading through it repeatedly. She had to admit: she found that kind of attention a little embarrassing, but it was also felt very _warm_. After he let go again, he continued to smile a bit, even as his hand let go of her cheek.

"So" he breathed, putting his hands in his pockets, backing up a little.

Zhalia couldn't speak for a few seconds, but she slowly made a sound, grateful for the chance at composure. "So" she said back faintly. "Uh... now you're gonna tell me the um- the official reason you wanted us to be alone? So we can save face out there?"

Dante nodded slowly, his smile falling. "Indeed" he said, just as faint, glancing around at the doors ( _making sure no one was listening_ , she thought). "It's about our portal-to-Huntik spell."

"Don't tell me you finished it?" she asked, partly to help get her composure back.

Dante merely looked at her, before he glanced down at nothing.

His smile didn't return.

"...you did, didn't you" she said slowly, serious, looking at him; this wasn't like him, never mind the fact that she hadn't expected the spell _this_ soon.

"Well, just barely" he continued, faint. "It's highly unstable, in the technical sense."

"And that means?"

"The energy demands are high, dangerously high, Zhalia, compared to most spells" he said, his voice tightening. "The first six who tried it have _died._ "

There was silence between them, and nowhere near the awkward kind. She might have actually preferred the awkward one to this – it would have erased the haunted look in Dante's eyes. This started to give her flashbacks to their raid on The Professor's stronghold, and Sophie's story about Nimue Casterwill giving her life with Soulburn+Sacredblade- she forced those down quickly.

"Wait, you want us to perfect it?" she asked, disbelieving, partly to cover this. "With it that dangerous?"

"...It already has been perfected, in essence, with great cost of those six lives" he said heavily, sighing. "The Council is in a frenzy right now, with much debate that's still ongoing about this spell; it'll take weeks or more to resolve it. But I've been getting a feeling, Zhalia."

"A feeling?"

"About the Blood Spirals - their actions of late says they're waiting, for the right moment to strike, hard. And by-and-large, this team has been their target; that's no coincidence."

Slowly, Zhalia understood... he didn't like this _at all_ , and would much rather they didn't use the spell, due to how dangerous it was. But she shared his suspicion; this was a break in the storm, and the Blood Spirals had harassed them, but they had yet to play their newest game. They couldn't exactly afford to wait weeks for the Council to decide, or even longer for them to find a less-draining spell to go in. And more than that, he wanted them to make good use of it, so the deaths of the others wouldn't be for nothing; to honor them in some small way.

"...So" she eventually asked, faint too. "The specs of the spell itself?"

"The energy drain is split between all participants" Dante started, still in this troubled state. "We have determined - with 100% _painful_ accuracy - that four people and up can handle the energy demands. "We made absolutely sure of that, Zhalia. I wouldn't have dared ask you or this team to try the spell if it was otherwise. But this spell _will_ kill, if you try it with anything less than four people...""

She considered this for a few moments. "And the spell leads to Huntik?"

"Based on our energy analysis, yeah. After the deaths though, no one's had any heart to try and go in, even if they were ordered to...

Silence for awhile.

Eventually: "I don't believe you would have told me all this, if you weren't sure" she breathed faintly.

"No, I wouldn't have" he replied, closing his eyes.

She crossed her arms, increasingly troubled to see him like this, but had to bear with it a little longer. "You said it divides the energy demands between all participants" she stated. "What qualifies to this spell as participants?"

"Basically, any person that's touching you" he said. "Doesn't matter if it's the barest brush, or if you're full-on wrapped around the person."

She slowly scoffed, "I'll settle for holding hands" she said.

He slowly opened his eyes. "Yeah" he answered back, faint-

-she slumped a little; this had really gotten to him.

After that, they just looked at each other, though his was a little out of it - Zhalia slowly stepped closer, her fingers hesitating several times. Heart pounding, she touched her fingers to his, carefully wrapping her hand around them. Dante looked at this, even as she pulled it between them, slowly covering it with her other hand now... with a faint look, he got what she was doing, and slowly put his other hand over theirs. Then he slowly leaned his head down, resting it upon their hands, letting out a long breath.

She felt an awful sensation at the sight, but she stayed strong; that's what Dante needs right now, for this rare moment of weakness. She thought she knew why too, as the reason haunted her as well-

His own 'death'.

Uncounted seconds passed...

Eventually, Dante slowly lifted his head. "...I can't thank you enough, Zhalia" he breathed, not quite like himself, but he was grateful.

Her cheeks heated up, and a little shakily, her hands left his before one slowly touched his cheek. It took him a few seconds to get the idea, and slowly they stepped together, her other hand going to his neck.

"...d-don't mention it" Zhalia mumbled.

"And I'm sorry" he whispered, even closer now.

For bringing down the mood, and their moment, with official business; she understood.

"You had to, eventually" she whispered back-

-their lips met again, his grip on her slowly tightening.

* * *

"Oh yeah" Cathy breathed, during a break in their fairly long conversation. "What does Springer actually look like?"

This brought Lok up short, but he quickly looked around. "Sophie" he breathed, pointing, as she was closest to the Holotome. "Throw it" he said after she picked it up, which got him a small look (and a knowing glance from Den), but she obliged anyway. He caught it fairly, then opened it up and pressed a few keys - it hummed to life as a 3-dimensional picture of Springer projected itself.

 _"Springer"_ the Holotome spoke, surprising Cathy. _"Attack: 1; Defense: 1; Type: Meso-Titan Scout; Special Ability: Code Cracker"_

"That means he's good at puzzles and traps, and getting into tight spaces" Sophie said to the vaguely-confused Cathy, who slowly nodded that off.

"Oh wow, he's so cute!" she breathed, looking at the 3-D holographic projection of Springer, which moved exactly like it's real-life counterpart. "He's less green though, right?"

Lok chuckled a bit. "Yeah, sorry about that" he said, placing the Holotome back on the table. "All of the Titan holo-projections are green-tinted on Huntik Holotomes. The actual Springer is more of a dark-brown, with some gray."

"If you summon him, you can see for yourself, Cathy" Cherit added. "You just gotta concentrate."

"And you are just about ready" Den said, his arms crossed. "Not only from what Lok and Sophie said, but I think so too."

Cathy hefted her new amulet, then glanced up. "Okay, but what do I say?" she asked, looking between them.

"Well, usually you gotta say a specific word or sentence, then their name." Sophie answered. "But with a high enough bond, or with easy certain species like Springer, you can say anything you like, even just say their name."

"Come on, give it a try, Cathy" came from Lok.

She slowly nodded, then cleared her throat and held it out, rather awkwardly by the chain. "Okay well... come out, _Springer!_ "

Springer's amulet jewel glowed slightly, flickered a bit, then his symbol came out strong. With a flourish, the cute fox Titan appeared on the floor, his twin tails twitching several times before he turned toward Cathy.

"I did it - I did it!" Cathy breathed, surprised and excited, before she bent down. "And I was right; he's so cute!"

Springer's whiskers twitched at this, but he regarded his new owner with a little smile before he jumped up, easily settling on her shoulder. Cathy moved a bit when he did this, not used to it, but gently stroking his fur after that.

Lok was all approval. "Soon, you'll be summoning with the best of us!" he said, going for a high-five, which Cathy returned.

"Speaking of soon" Sophie said slowly, looking toward the door Zhalia and Dante had gone through. "Do you think their talk should be taking this long?"

"If it's as important as Dante implied, then maybe" Den said shrewdly, doing a brief pacing motion. "The only question is why Zhalia first? He and Zhalia both know that anything he tells her, we'll find out about soon enough."

There was silence for a moment, then: "Well, maybe this talk isn't just about business."

Everyone looked at Cathy, who made a small sheepish sound at that. "I don't know about you guys, but I saw something else between those two." she said, still working with Springer, who was now perched on top of her head.

"Wait, do you mean what I think you mean?" Lok asked slowly, glancing at Sophie (and she at him).

She wouldn't say, but by the subtle looks on their faces, she really didn't have to.

* * *

 _Unknown location_

The air exploded for the umpteenth time.

Shakrit hissed, floating there in mid-air as the ground flames outlined his form, opposed by Ash, Dervish and Lilith the Queen.

Shauna looked back from her place near the entrance. "Better" she spat. "But not nearly good enough. Again!"

Obediently, her three Titans resumed the attack, where Shakrit attacked and defended himself as needed. The battle raged intensely, all four of them showing signs of effort, and the scorched floor attesting to how long they'd been battling. Meanwhile, Shauna turned her attention back to Wind, who was at the ready posture again. She grinned savagely, "You finally ready to give me a challenge?"

She didn't give him time to answer, as she attacked right away: _"Darkwave!"_

Wind disappeared in a burst of flame; literally, he'd used _Fireport_. She instantly elbowed behind her, was caught in mid-attack, making her snarl _"Hexkill!"_

Wind grunted as he was pushed backward, his spell broken, but he wasn't dissuaded. She aimed a hand at him: _"Venomhand!"_

"Sir?"

"What!?" she snarled, whirling around, her Venomhand aimed directly at the Silent Solider who had spoken.

He slowly and audibly gulped, and even the din from the Titan battle ceased. "Uh, we have that report you requested, sir."

"Well say it, before I decide to let loose on you for interrupting" she said savagely, her spell only enforcing this.

He gave a stiff nod, doing his best to retain composure in the presence of the spell. "Our- our spies have confirmed that Lok Lambert has recruited his older sister into the team, though for how long was not specified. Her talent seems to be martial arts, but her Seeker spells and Titan summoning is lackluster."

The Venomhand energy disappeared, and Shauna scoffed. "For now" she said dangerously. "You and all the other Soldiers better have no doubt that she will get better. Never underestimate the enemy. Now tell me the rest!"

"Uh, yes sir" he said quickly. "Dante Vale has also given the team the spell you were interested in, but it's-"

"It's _what_ , Soldier?" she asked, almost right in his face.

He managed to keep his composure, somehow. "We managed to gather that the spell's energy drain is enormous, dangerously so in Dante's words" he said. "There have been casualties in using it, but we could not determine the exact details on that."

"Well, you'd better find out before we go forward with the plan, or you might be next" she said dangerously, then pushed him away. "Now get out of here."

He quickly saluted, waiting till he was out of her sight (or so he thought) before he actually ran for his life. Then she found Wind looking at her. "What?" she snapped, crossing her arms. "Another comment on how I'm treating them?"

Wind merely rolled his eyes, and she grunted; if anyone else had dared, she'd have ripped their head off.

A red glow emanated from the pool by the throne, drawing the attention of both people, Shauna straightening a bit as a red aura washed over her. "We're almost ready, Betrayer" she said in a low voice. "Soon, our soldiers will take the information that we need, and our plans will go forward."

This silent conversation finished, and the red glow diminished, after which Shauna found herself the target of another equally silent statement.

And it enraged her: "Do not think to compare me to my traitorous brother!" she spat at Wind. "That fool grew drunk with power, thinking he could become the Betrayer's equal or better, as if that was possible! For his treason, he was rewarded for it; do not think me to have the same mindset!"

After that, she stormed off, leaving Wind to watch after her slowly. His eyes closed slowly, showing a subtle bit of relief - then he went off in the opposite direction.

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

The air filled with anguished groans.

The Professor laughed, even as he leached off the energy of his former suits, drawing what he could spare into himself. It was a shame his Legendary Titans had already absorbed the maximum amount, but he would not let the rest go to waste.

Seconds passed, then one of his three remaining suits dropped to the ground, unconscious. Soon the other two joined him, right alongside the many hundreds of others.

Gauging his boosted power, he was pleased, but wished there was more to go around. Oh well - he cast a disgusted look at the mass of unconscious suits piled in the area, then he left. They may not be dead or truly alive now, but what further use were they to him anymore?

Even as he walked, his three Legendary Titans watched him go, not moving for the moment.

"Well, let's hope you live up to your reputation _team_ " he snarled to himself. "The sooner you're done, the sooner our plans can go forward."

He had a moment to savor the threat, then he felt a tug - and he whirled around; his connection to Araknos was weakening. It was not something you could consciously see, but it existed.

 _"Muzzleforce!"_

The Legendary Titan stiffened as a deathly-green chain of energy appeared, starting from the Titan's chest and connected to his hand. The energy strain was thinner than it was before, but with a crackle, he quickly rectified that - without Araknos, he would have to waste more energy on the other Legendary Titans to control them.

He grunted; if only he still had the Amulet of Will, along with Overlos! But both seemed to have disappeared to parts unknown - he'd searched for them both, but he didn't have time to comb an entire dimension for either of them!

...

Some distance away, the wind briefly blew over a brush of grass, appearing completely innocuous. Then a few stalks moved on their own; someone was watching the scene unseen.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Things are happening on both sides, so things will only get more interesting. But finally, Dante and Zhalia have gotten together... even if circumstances interfered with the moment. As for the Amulet of Will, you may ask 'What's it doing in Huntik?' - well, Overlos was ordered to take the three Legendary Titans with him there. He did so, but not only Behemoth/Tao/Araknos went; their rings did as well... it's not that big a stretch to imagine the Amulet of Will was included in that, as it is the 'ring' of Overlos.**

 **And we never did see it again, except in a flashback ;)**

 **Stay tuned.**


	11. Turbulence

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Training is proceeding well for Cathy, who has a knack for defense, and she begins to proceed with Seeker spells and Titan summoning. Soon after their initial session, Dante Vale visits the team on official business, part of which is to give them new Titans. However, soon he and Zhalia are alone under this cover, which results in a close moment between them. But all is not happiness, regarding the dangerous specifics of making a portal to the Spirit World, Huntik, and the proceeding plans of the The Professor and Blood Spirals.**

* * *

 _"Turbulence"_

 _Episode 63_

* * *

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Venice, Italy_

"I think Zhalia always had something for Dante, but she never struck me as one to be... openly affectionate."

"Well maybe not, but no one said they had to be public about being together. _If_ they are actually talking about being like that."

Sophie replied to Lok, but in a lower voice, so Den wasn't able to hear anything else they whispered.

He had to admit, though he wasn't sure how he felt about their (potential) romance, he did understand Zhalia not wanting to be public about it, to a degree. Having had to protect Harrison from bullies meant he'd learned to be tough, to keep up a facade. The difference was that while his facade was (sorta) just that, it was basically a part of Zhalia, having grown up to be an infiltrator and all. Even talking about being together with Dante must be massively embarrassing... well, _if_ they were talking about that right now, like Lok just said.

He made a sound, arms crossed.

Beside him though, Cathy was still excited that she'd summoned Springer, scratching him behind the ears. "Hey, Den?" she asked, which got his attention. "For future reference, how do I call him back?"

"The desire for them to go back, or a simple 'Return', should do" he said easily. "And now that you've summoned Springer, Seeker spells should be easier. You've already got the concentration down, you just gotta learn to use it at will, and with distractions."

She nodded slowly. "Training today is gonna be hectic" she said nervously, but she managed a smile, which he returned.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Cathy."

The entire group turned; Dante and Zhalia had returned, looking/acting entirely like their normal selves. Unnoticed by everyone but Cathy though, there were other elements bubbling beneath the surface.

Dante merely smiled a little. "But, unfortunately, my official business here is concluded" he said, a little heavy. "And not only that, the Council was only able to arrange a return flight that leaves two hours after my arrival, because they were so booked today. If I stay too long, I'll be left behind for a day or more - and much as I'd like that, you know how it is with my job."

"We'll be sad to see you go" came from Sophie, but understanding.

"Well, not really sad" Zhalia added, arms crossed.

"This is _not_ the time to dismantle a metaphor, Zhalia" she responded, with a look.

All three boys merely chuckled at this rivalry, with Cathy seeming sheepish in the background, though she still glanced between Zhalia and Dante. Then Cherit momentarily took his place on Dante's shoulder: "Until we meet again, Dante" he said cheerfully.

"Same here, old friend" he said, gently shaking his paw.

Still chuckling a bit, Den stepped forward, holding his fist. "See you around?" he asked, Lok also adding his fist.

Dante easily returned the three-way fist-bump. "You know it."

"Wait."

Surprised, everyone turned toward Cathy, who was looking at Dante.

"Yes?" he asked, the door open and his hand on the knob.

A brief moment, aware everyone was watching, before: "Uh, before you go, is there a spell that causes amnesia?" she asked carefully.

Everyone in the room reacted differently, but they all knew _exactly_ what she was referring to. Dante himself merely glanced up a bit, then, "Well, yes, there is; it's called 'Simplemind'" he said, not noticing he'd opened the door even more.

Cathy looked miffed. "Then that second time you visited, you did that to me; you Simpleminded me!" she exclaimed. In the process, Springer wobbled on her head, seemingly worried.

No one responded, but Dante in particular took his time, glancing around the doorway. Then he carefully moved himself further out the door, "Maybe" he said slowly, in that kind of tone that you just _know_ is saying 'Yes'.

Then he closed the door, and he was gone.

/

"Seriously, how could he do that?"

"Well, that was when we were still trying to keep things from you... sorry, Cath."

Cathy responded to this, still miffed, which Zhalia noted yet again. Much like her brother, she was pretty much nice to the core, but when she was annoyed or angry, that changed in a hurry. Something she approved of, just a little.

"I was afraid she might ask about that" Cherit said with worry, flying right beside her. "Now she's angry... or maybe that's not the right word" the Titan continued, reconsidering.

"Either way, she has every right to be" she noted. "But Cathy will get over it; she's too nice to hold a grudge."

"Perhaps" Cherit mused, fingers to his chin. As they watched, Lok quickly took his sister downstairs, trying to soothe her, "But I better go see how she's doing myself."

"Knock yourself out."

"Poor girl" Sophie noted after Cherit left, who flew down the stairwell after Lok + Cathy.

"So what was this official business Dante wanted to discuss?" Den asked, Sophie giving a little start at that, since she apparently seemed to have forgotten about that herself.

"It's fairly big, but it needs the entire team" Zhalia admitted, glancing toward where Lok and Cathy had disappeared to. "Which doesn't seem likely to happen for a little awhile. I'll mention to them that we can meet together around three; should be plenty of time."

"Seems we have it to spare" Sophie noted, looking at Den with a small smirk - Den appeared less than enthusiastic at what she seemed to have in mind. "After all, Dante's surprise visiting or not, we still had plans today."

Zhalia smirked a little at Den's 'predicament', but still moved to go after Lok and Cathy.

Before she got there though, she had a thought, fresh from her encounter with Dante. Vaguely, she felt she might be able to get used to this (the relationship)... but her comforting Dante would take a lot longer to sink in. She lingered on it a moment, before shaking her head; if she started thinking about that now, it'd draw her back into her previous mood. She needed to focus on other things, help make her feel better, and then she wouldn't need to fake it much longer.

...

Just as she came down the stairs: "Come on, Cath-"

"I'm fine... really. Just annoyed; that blank spot always drove me _crazy_ , trying to remember!"

"I understand that, but when you're annoyed, I feel bad."

"Then perhaps a distraction is in order?" Zhalia asked of the room, getting into view now.

"What kind of distraction?" Cherit asked, even as the surprised Lok and Cathy turned (Springer was at the latter's feet now).

"I'm thinking training" she said mildly, arms crossed. "A little physical exertion clears the mind. Sound okay to you, Cathy?"

Cathy looked nervous, but she managed to nod. "Okay" she breathed, even as Lok gave her shoulder a brief squeeze, no doubt non-verbally saying she'd be fine (then he and Cherit got out of the way, while Springer stayed put).

"Alright" Zhalia continued. "You've already hit the ground running with martial arts, and you've summoned your first Titan. I think you should get your first Seeker spell out of the way as well."

Cathy looked at her own hand for awhile, then nodded and turned toward a wall, taking in a long breath.

She aimed her hand: _"Boltflare!"_

Her hand managed to crackle with energy, but it didn't shoot.

Cathy grunted, partly of nervousness. _"Boltflare!"_ she said, the energy fluctuating. " _Boltflar_ -ahh!"

BOOM!

After the smoke cleared, there was a small 'burn' on the wall, smoking for a sec - Springer took that moment to climb up the wall, sniffing the spot and giving his owner a little smile.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Lok said, grinning even as Cherit cheered her on.

Cathy looked at her palm, which was still steaming a little, and she laughed out of relief (and surprise). "Woah!" she exclaimed, then aimed again, after Springer had moved of course. _"_ Uh, _Boltflare!"_

This time it shot out with no problems, creating another 'burn' beside the other, then another as she shot again.

"Okay okay, Cath, we don't want to bring the wall down" Lok said mildly, taking his sister's arm... his timing could have used work though: just as he yanked, her fourth Boltflare spell shot off almost directly in front of his face, making both siblings cry out differently.

"Lok, you okay!?" Cherit asked, flying just in front of Lok, who'd staggered backward.

"Yeah" he breathed slowly, the very tip of his nose steaming, which he poked at. "Yeah... I'm not cooked or anything."

"Lok, I'm so sorry-!"

"Why are you sorry? That was scary, but cool!"

This set off a small round of talking between Lok, Cathy and Cherit, leaving Zhalia to glance at the abused wall. _"Gonna have to call Sophie in to use Findshape, again"_ she thought, amused but also approving; the girl had potential, as the three spells had created a small crack from force. She just had to learn how to get past her attacking issue, then she'd be good.

"Still, that power felt pretty good to me-"

"If you think that was good, Cathy" Zhalia said, cutting across her, though mildly. "Then you haven't seen a full-on Titan battle yet."

"Oh yeah, that's right" Lok said, rubbing his head, looking at his sister. "We've been teaching you how to use this stuff, but we've never shown you what the real situations look like."

"Please, can you show me?" she asked, surprising him (and herself). "I-I mean- if I know what it's all like, I can prepare for it, at least" she quickly added, still nervous, but determined.

He made a sound, reluctant, but also that she had a point. "Zhalia?" Lok asked, turning toward her.

"Ready when you are, Lok" she answered, flexing.

"This way, my lady" Cherit said graciously, gesturing, which Cathy accepted with a little smile. She took up her position near the door, giving the two space to fight, for which she looked nervously determined to watch, as from before. However, when Springer got on the table beside her, she felt a little better and hesitantly pet him a few times, with his permission. Meanwhile, she and Lok were at the ready position, and across from her, Lok smirked.

"Don't hold back, Zhalia" he said, pulling out an amulet. _"Take control, Dendras!"_

From the icon emerged a masked humanoid, who wielded marionette strings in both hands, attached to which were two dragon puppets. Dendras flourished them both, the red one shooting fire, and the blue one shooting ice, then both of them hovering as the Titan waited.

"Never do" she added slyly, her own amulet already out. _"Put them in their place, King Basilisk!"_

Known across many mythologies, the basilisk was a feared creature for it's toxic breath and petrification abilities, and this one was no different. Fanning out his wings, King Basilisk briefly ran across the ground, hissing as he regarded the floating puppeteer, his tail whipping through the air and ready to strike.

Both Titans adjusted to the knowledge that they would have to fight each other, but their Seekers' thoughts reassured that this was merely a training exercise.

"Let's start things off" Lok called, before running straight at her. _"Overslam!"_

Knowing she couldn't divert that, she moved quickly. _"Shadowspeed!"_ she called, moving out of harm's way, and thus the mock serious battle began. They left seconds in-between attacks, to give their particular audience time to take things in, of course.

Lok came in charging with _Dragonfist_ , and she countered with _Venonhand_ , which hissed and sparked upon contact with the other spell. Even as they 'struggled' like this, Dendras attacked with blasts of fire/ice, which King Basilisk blocked with his wings, roaring somewhat at the puppeteer before he hovered. Dendras flung his marionettes at the reptilian Titan, who dodged the red dragon, but the blue one hit the tip of his wing, coating it in ice. King Basilisk recovered before he hit the ground, and hit his wingtip against the wall, shattering the ice easily even as he rejoined the fight.

 _"Touchram!"_ she called.

 _"Armorbrand!"_ he responded, blocking her attack, then waiting till it went down. _"Raypulse!"_

Zhalia dodged that one, then: _"Mindsight!"_

Lok registered this, but still came charging straight at her - they both knew that was stupid, but she let it go (theatrics for their audience). And true enough, when Lok used his arsenal of punch/kick attacks, she dodged them all easily, seeing exactly where they would go before he did. In fact, it was too easy. But after fifteen seconds of this, she held Lok's wrist in one hand, and placed her other one near his chest. _"Nursecall!"_

Lok grunted as he was flung, but she kept herself at the ready, as it (purposefully) hadn't done much damage.

Meanwhile, Dendras blocked King Basilisk's slashing attacks, then both dragon marionettes chomped on his shoulders, making him hiss slightly. However, King Basilisk grabbed the strings and flung Dendras to the ground, where his marionettes were pushed out of his reach. He attempted to get them back, but he found King Basilisk hovering over him, his red eyes glowing. Dendras started turning to stone, but halfway through the process, he disappeared in a flash of light that returned to Lok.

He grunted upon his return, breathing out a bit, while Zhalia eased back a little. King Basilisk slowly returned to her side, directly behind her.

"Zhalia" Lok chided a bit.

"What?" she questioned mildly, holding up her hands. "You said no holding back."

He chuckled after a moment, smiling. "Yeah, in a fight where we were holding back anyway" he acknowledged. "Well, it was a good one anyway. Rather short, but good, even if I didn't get to showcase Dendras' control abilities."

"Holy..."

Both of them turned, seeing Cathy standing there, looking rather stunned.

"That was just- uh, terrifying" she started, then her demeanor changed instantly. _"But that was also the coolest thing ever!"_

"Where have I seen that enthusiasm before?" Zhalia mock-wondered, her comment aimed at Lok, who sheepishly chuckled.

"I'm glad you approve, Cath" Lok said to his sister, arm around her shoulder. "But was it really that terrifying?"

She made a sheepish sound. "Completely, if I imagined that going at full speed, like I'm sure they all do" she admitted, but shook her head. "But, I'll try to get used to it; I do want to help."

"With more training, you certainly will do well!" Cherit added, which made her laugh.

Now from the sidelines, Zhalia mentally approved of Cathy's determination, even being more nervous than she was letting on. At the same time, she saw hints of Lok approving, even if still worried under the surface. Okay, let the two have their sibling moment now - however, she motioned Cherit over.

"What is it, Zhalia?" he asked, curious.

She mentioned their planned meeting time-

/

 _Meanwhile_

"Well, I definitely like the unusual nature of these questions, but I can't say much for their use."

"They're brain teasers, Den" Sophie said mildly, lightly flicking something off her jeans. "Solving these means you have intelligence, but also that you know how not to overthink. It's an important trial for strengthening both qualities halfway, and I want to make sure you get them for your schoolwork."

He glanced down at his latest problem for a moment. "If you say so" he said, not entirely convinced.

She probably knew that, but still smirked. "Now, try it out: How many triangles are in this image?"

Lowering his eyes, Den carefully tried to figure that out. The image in question had three triangles as a base, two in the gaps to make a 'rectangle' (and two to build on top of that base), and one capping off the next gap and the point itself. That lead to nine triangles right off the bat, but he knew that couldn't be the answer; too easy. Then he saw three medium triangles out of the smaller ones, making up the big one, but twelve wasn't one of the answers- guh, how did he just forget to count the big triangle?

"Thirteen?" he finally asked.

"Correct! See, you can actually learn this if you mind to it."

"Can you not bring down my moment?" he asked mildly, but both merely chuckled; their teacher-student dynamic did that a lot. "But still, I really got that right?"

"Perfectly" she said sincerely. "Perhaps this is your strength."

"Yeah, you say perhaps, but I don't want to be an expert at brain teasers" Den said, lightly scratching his right arm, right around his Blood Spiral mark. When he realized this, he got a little more serious, looking at it.

Truth be told, even when this thing sat there doing nothing all the time, he didn't trust it; it set him on edge. It hadn't glowed or done anything since the battle with The Betrayer, but he wasn't fooled; this thing still had some connection to those bullies, some _power_ to it. Nothing had been able to convince him otherwise, and he wished he could get rid of it, but nothing had worked! He'd even been to a tattoo remover to do so, but aside from a lot of pain, the ink or whatever in his arm hadn't budged. And he'd had to Simplemind the artist in charge when this had baffled him.

Across from him, Sophie noticed where he'd been looking. "It's okay, Den" she stated, drawing his glance. "We'll find a way."

"Well, sooner is better as far as I'm concerned" he said, quickly pulling his sleeve down over the mark. "And their sudden silence worries me - didn't they not show up during that Nexus mission, directly after Cathy came here? Or the one after that, that me and you went on?"

"Very true" she said, lips pursed. "But we can't exactly draw them all into the open, or dare them to come get us; there's still hundreds of them. Plus I wouldn't want to without a good reason."

"Yeah" he answered mildly, not looking forward to the idea of being bait anyway. "Now - uh-"

"Yes?"

Den slowly shook his head. "Nah, it's better I get my mind off the Blood Spirals for now" he said, then wondering if he was slightly insane, he changed the page to another brain-teaser. "So uh, next question?"

* * *

 _"So uh, next question?"_

 _"Alright. Well, the next one involves a bunch of numbers in order, the trick being that you have to understand why they're going down (or up) the way they are."_

 _"Sounds complicated, but the answer might be simple, right?"_

 _"Right, so let's-"_

Shauna grunted, looking over at Murdock, who was monitoring his own mark, where the voices of the Casterwill girl and the traitor were audible. "Why must she prattle on about such trivial matters?" she demanded.

"Got me" Murdock said carefully, half-turning toward her. "If this is bothering you, I will move until the information becomes relevant."

"Do so then, and find Kiel" she said, still disgruntled that they suspected their sudden silence, regardless that their plans demanded it.

"Right here" Kiel grunted, moving past Murdock, the latter of which set off after a moment, right out of the throne room.

"And where have you been?"

"Observing the team's hiding place" he said, then with excited anticipation, "We can attack them at any time!"

"That is good, but the time is still not right for the attack" she said, still disgruntled.

"Why?" Kiel demanded. "That Casterwill brat is right in my grasp-"

"Details of their spell remain unclear!" she cut him off. "And until they try it, or we hear those same details, whichever is first, there is unnecessary risk!"

Kiel was thrown off, but he stepped forward. "Since when have _you_ worried about unnecessary risk?"

"Since it is part of my _orders_ to consider it, Kiel" she said, every word hard as the rock around them. "But I did need outside help to ease my rage, as I wish to eliminate the Casterwills as much as you!"

When she mentioned 'outside help', she noted Kiel slowly glanced over at Wind, who stood ever silent. "Eyes front, soldier" she said quietly, snapping him to attention; even he did not wish to get on her bad side. "Now, there is a certain Titan you will find for us, for use in our plans much later."

Kiel merely grunted in response, until he heard what orders she had in store for him.

* * *

"You know, Cath" Lok said bracingly. "Perhaps if you tried out a Titan battle yourself, just 'really' slow at first, then it wouldn't seem so terrifying."

She was nervously surprised. "A-Are you sure, bro?"

"Absolutely!" Cherit said cheerfully, flying in front of her. "There is no better teacher than experience, especially a base to build upon before the real action!"

She managed a small smile, turning toward him. "But even if we go slow, isn't starting off with two Titans too much?" she asked. "Solar and Lunar work best together, o-or so I feel, and I don't want to separate them."

"Very good points" Cherit considered, but with a little smile that she was already considering her Titans that way. "Two Titans, even easy ones, is never usually a great starting point."

"Actually, I have an idea about that, Cath" Lok said gently, surprising her as he dug around his pocket, pulling out an amulet.

"Who's that one?" she asked, also watching as he held up his Holotome.

He merely smiled, opening it up, then held the amulet over the Holotome, which began scanning. _"Ironsquire"_ it spoke, showing the heavily-shielded warrior. _"Attack: 2; Defense: 4; Type: Draco-Titan Warrior; Size: Average; Special Ability: Defender"_

"He's one of the newer additions we've gotten recently" he said with a grin. "I have one just like him, which I've had for awhile" he continued, pulling out an identical amulet from his other pocket.

"So, some of them aren't the only one of their kind?" she asked, very interested.

He briefly laughed. "Hardly" he said. "Sure, some of the more powerful ones are rare and limited, but there are a few common ones. Ironsquire is one of them, and he specializes in defense, something you're very good at, Cath."

A little pleased, she looked back at the amulet. "So, he's mine?"

He merely held out the amulet, where she slowly extended her hand, touching it by the jewel. With an orange glow, an aura briefly enveloped Cathy, surprising her - but lasted only a second.

"Wow, that was fast" Lok noted, surprised himself.

"I know" Cathy breathed, excited yet also interested. "He felt my instinct for defense right away, and my understanding nature. I-I get him so well; our bond is strong. I can feel it!"

Cherit hovered just by her hand, touching the amulet, where the jewel briefly glowed in response. "She's right" he said, surprised and impressed. "I've never seen a Seeker bond with a Titan so much so fast before. Not that she's breaking any records exactly, but still!"

"You just might give me a run for my money" Lok said, impressed but also unconsciously playful.

Maybe the impressed aspect was stronger, because she rapidly waved her hands: "Hey, let's not get crazy!" Cathy exclaimed, making them laugh, herself joining in slightly after a moment. "Now, uh, shouldn't I test him?"

"Test, yes" he said lightly, taking his spot (Cathy quickly going to hers). "It'll start off slow though, even more than my battle with Zhalia."

She smiled. "Thanks, bro."

He smiled back, pulling out his amulet: _"Finish them off, Raijin the Thunderbolt!"_

Elf-like, this Titan nonetheless possessed long, green hair and blue skin, who flourished his sword even as blue lightning appeared over his palms and his feet. Hovering just above the ground, the electricity he rode cackled audibly - however, when he understood this was a slow test battle, he dismounted to ground-level and held his sword at the ready. Near the corner table, Cherit hummed a bit, then his tail accidentally hit a button on the Holotome (which he reacted to), and it began scanning again.

 _"Raijin the Thunderbolt"_ it spoke, briefly surprising everyone. _"Attack: 4; Defense: 3; Type: Yama-Titan Sorcerer; Special Ability: Lightning Master"_

Lok briefly threw up his hands, showing 'What are you gonna do?'

Cathy smiled again, returning her attention to Raijin, then remembered her own Titan, which she quickly switched from holding by the chain to the amulet itself. "Here we go" she said faintly, adjusting her grip a little, then braced herself. _"_ Mmh... _Charge, Ironsquire!"_

Onto the scene came the robotic Titan, largely orange and steel-blue, bearing a shield as large as himself. Grunting a bit, Ironsquire regarded Raijin as it held it's shield at the ready - at the same time, Cathy regarded the full-size Ironsquire herself.

"For right now Cath, we fight with Titans only" he spoke after a moment, still smiling. "Start off slow, and the works. Now then-"

Raijin ran forward after he said so. Ironsquire immediately stepped protectively in front of Cathy, holding up his shield, which Raijin attacked in short order - every strike was slow for his speed, but they rang through the room, and most of them bounced off harmlessly. On the fourth strike, Raijin deliberately backed off his attack, as if he'd lost strength. Cathy moved a bit as she saw this, and Ironsquire responded as if that was a command, the result being that Raijin was pushed backward by a light punch.

"He attacked him" Cathy breathed, sounding amazed. "I saw that opening - well, that _fake_ opening - and he saw it in my mind!"

Lok smiled. "It's that bond that is so important between Titan and Seeker" he said, then slowly chuckled sheepishly. "And to sound less poetic, that's only part of what we can do with it. Try attacking now."

"Uh... Ironsquire, get him!"

Ironsquire obeyed, and Raijin defended as well as he could at the same speed from earlier, but Lok noted how hesitant she suddenly was (even if she pushed it aside for a moment). _"When she's not defending herself, she has a real aversion to attacking"_ he realized. He knew she didn't like to attack in general, but only now did he see how deep it went. That could be a real problem, but what could he say? Imagine the Titans are blood-thristy beasts, that the enemies will hurt you if you don't, or otherwise say that that she needs to get over herself?

Not a chance in hell.

The test battle raged back-and-forth for awhile, and at one point Lok stepped it up, Raijin now permitted to use his lightning abilities for movement purposes only. Ironsquire did fairly well, thanks to Cathy's instincts, but he got few chances to attack, and even fewer connected.

Just then, it hit him: maybe he didn't _need_ to have Cathy be an attacker, of any kind. She had an instinctive understanding nature, right? Well, if she could understand just about anything easily, people and Titans included, then that means she'd have a hard time attacking on purpose, because it went against her nature + she automatically emphasized with them. Sure, the team's ability to attack the enemy was important, but just as often if not more so they were attacked in return, and frequently prolonging the battle because they had to defend themselves. And well, it's a good thing self-defense is not nearly the same as attacking.

 _"Yeah"_ Lok thought slowly. _"Maybe, maybe that's the key. And honestly, it's better to work with her nature than try and turn it on it's head."_

"Time-out!" he called, hands out.

The test battle paused, both Titans straightening, even as Cathy slowly looked at him.

He stepped closer, and had himself at the ready. "Now then, it's time to slow-test Seeker AND Titan battles, starring only us" he said mildly. "Seekers can attack Titans, and vice-versa."

She glanced at Raijin, gulped a bit, but slowly stepped closer. "That's gonna be harder" she said nervously, but still getting into her ready stance.

"Just go with your instincts" he said easily. "If they say anything, do it, no pressure here."

Her nervousness eased a little at that, and that was enough for him, even as the Titans readied to do battle again.

/

 _Half-an-hour later_

"Where are they?" Sophie asked, then with a small scoff. "Don't tell me they're still training!"

Den made a sound. "Since when was that a bad thing?" he asked, hands up.

Sophie crossed her arms. "It's not, but when Zhalia has something to report, we should all be here" she said, then started walking. "I'm gonna-"

"You won't" Zhalia said, stopping her by the shoulder, without even looking. "Cathy needs her brother; let Lok handle things at his own pace."

While surprised, Sophie soon turned toward her. "But I thought you said this was important, Zhalia."

"It is" she admitted, taking her hand back. "But it can also wait a little - plus I did say 'around' three."

Her admission confused Den slightly, and only infuriated Sophie even more, at least for the moment. Still, while she waited in her chair, Zhalia slipped a hand into her pocket and immediately stopped - then she discreetly pulled out the amulet she'd found.

Redcap.

That didn't make sense; she didn't _have_ a Redcap Titan, and her pocket had been empty before Dante came-

She slowly made a sound, not sure whether to be pleased or embarrassed. _"Dante, you and your sneaky little hands"_ she thought. Then she blushed slightly, because that hadn't sounded quite right. If anything though, slipping this into her pocket meant that Dante was somewhat back to normal, even if understandably weighed down.

"It seems that for being in charge of Cathy's training, you guys end up helping her more than I am" Den said, throwing up his hands. "Maybe I'm just not cut out for this-"

"Come on, Den, that's not true" Lok announced, Cathy and Cherit trailing with him. "Just a minute ago, Cathy used a few of the moves you taught her."

He was surprised: "Really?"

"Of course, even if she was holding back because I'm her brother!"

"Now _wait a minute_ stinker-"

This quickly turned into a little 'squabble', overall amusing everyone else.

Zhalia was too, but she also took this opportunity to compose herself back to normal; no one needed to see her blushing, thank you. And after that, she stood up slowly, putting Redcap back into her pocket. "Well, if you two are done, perhaps we can get down to business?"

Even as Lok and Cathy jolted out of their talk, Sophie stepped beside Lok. "That's what I said" she said mildly, making Lok look sheepish, but he put a hand on her shoulder. Sophie relented with a smile, but still turned her attention to Zhalia, as did everyone else after a few moments.

She crossed her arms. "Now, Dante's given me an update on our portal-to-Huntik spell" she said carefully, to reactions all around (except for Cathy, who was understandably out of it). "They've managed to create the spell, though there is a big issue. So he wants our help, unofficially."

"Well, what's the spell called?" Lok asked, quickly followed by Cherit's response, "Yes! Please tell us!"

"Nexual" she said, then smirked slightly. "Not entirely original, I know, but aside from the need to imagine the portal you're creating - a Nexus - it seems to work fairly fine."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Lok asked of the entire team, who all reacted differently (Sophie with a playful eyeroll, Den with a chuckle, Cherit with enthusiasm, and Cathy with slight anticipation despite not following some of their terms). Then he closed his eyes, holding his hands out-

Zhalia moved fast-

"Nex- Woahmmhh!"

She'd planted her hand over his mouth, half-tackling him out of their team circle. Her heart remained pounding as this arrangement continued, certain she felt the burning gazes of her (confused) friends, and Lok's sheer surprise. "Lok" she breathed low, but loud enough that the room could hear. "If I'd let you finish that, you'd be _dead_ by now."

The silence heavily reminded her of the one between her and Dante, not hours ago. She was beginning to hate that kind, and Lok's fear didn't help.

With a shaky breath, she backed away from Lok, reluctantly turning to face the others - who were just as stunned as Lok had been.

"Zhalia, y-you can't mean-"

"I do, Cherit" she said with all seriousness, glancing at everyone in turn. She saw the shock, the flashbacks to when they thought Dante had died (the thought shook her deeply, but she refused to let this be be seen), that particular look in Sophie eyes, Cathy's fear, and more - she couldn't blame any of them. "The energy demands of this particular spell are dangerously highly" she continued grimly. "No group of less than four people can do this spell, not without dying. And there have already been casualties; I refuse to have any of us be next."

No one said anything, just looked around at each other... until Den stepped forward. "Okay, so-so it's a major risk" he said bracingly, not just for their benefit, but trying to power through for himself. "But- but you said no one less than four, right? Well, what if we all tried it?" he continued, referring to himself, Lok, Sophie and Zhalia.

"According to Dante" she said slowly, still troubled. "In any group of four or more, there is a massive drain of energy. First it drains Seeker energy, and if that runs out, it feeds on our own life energy... that's how the six testers have died, because they did so with less than groups of four."

In her peripheral vision, Cathy looked even more scared, and backed up a few steps. No one else seemed to notice in their own shock, but she didn't blame the girl - she was still adjusting to their world; hearing that it was quite possible to die just like that, even during a rare Seeker spell, would scare anyone. She was sorry that she had to hear it so suddenly like this, but there was no other way to go about it.

Still, Zhalia continued on: "In a group of four, the Seeker energies needed is roughly enough for 99% of the spell's needs" she said, still serious. "There's a 2 percent random deviation though."

"If we tried this spell now, we'd be entirely defenseless should anything happen" Sophie stated, troubled.

"What could happen?" Den asked, before he had several reactions to his own question, one of which involved being frustrated with himself.

"A Blood Spiral attack" Lok said carefully, not noticing this, touching his fingertips to Sophie's. "I kinda agree with Zhalia, now that I think about it: their tactics have been inconsistent, as we all knew. But they haven't attacked for awhile... they must be waiting for something, and the moment they see their chance for whatever it is, they'll strike."

"Perhaps" Cherit mused faintly, claw tips on his chin as he flapped in place. "But about this spell, what if I helped you when you tried it?"

"That'd be dangerous, Cherit" Sophie said, completely worried. "You don't have your amulet anymore; if your energy was completely drained, you could-!"

"If it'd help you get to Huntik and save Eathon, I'm willing to try! I've lived for 10,000 years already!"

"We still need you, Cherit" Lok said, stepping forward, hands out. "You're part of this team, and a dear friend!"

 _"Enough!"_

Heavily surprised, everyone stared at Zhalia.

She coughed a bit. "We all know this will be dangerous" she said faintly. "But, well, as Dante would say, we can't argue among ourselves."

Lok and Sophie looked at each other, rather jolted. Den crossed his arms, breathing slowly, while Cherit just looked down, even as he flew in place.

"Uh, m-maybe-"

Surprised, she turned around (as did everyone else), seeing Cathy step forward - the fear hadn't disappeared, but she was nervously determined anyway.

"You said-" she started, before coughing a bit. "Y-You said four could handle it. So... what if five of us tried it?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Cathy, I can't- _we_ can't ask you to do that."

"What if?" Cathy persisted, despite her knees briefly knocking together.

Faintly impressed, Zhalia took some time answering, only peripherally aware that Lok looked ready to talk his sister out of this, until Sophie stopped him with a gesture and a 'Wait' look. "There's still some debate going on" Zhalia finally said. "However, in all but the worst cases, it should only drain Seeker energy... however, Seeker energy levels aren't fixed; they vary between people. The risk is still slight..."

It seemed like a full minute passed, then Cathy slowly sighed. "Well then... let's just try it" she breathed.

"Cath, are you sure?" Lok asked, a tinge of desperation in his voice.

"I am" she said faintly, scared and weak, but resolute anyway. She looked straight at him, "I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing... plus, I'm not gonna let you do something stupid without me."

Seconds passed, then he slowly breathed, stepping toward her. "I've done plenty of stupid things before" he said faintly, rueful, stopping just in front of her. "Just ask Sophie."

The slightest sound: "But now you have me along for the ride."

He made a sound, then he hugged his sister hard, who returned the favor with much shaking.

"B-Besides... if this 'Huntik' is where dad is... how could I even think to say no?"

Lok didn't say anything, but his grip did that for her – they all saw it.

/

 _"That's so sweet"_ Sophie thought, observing their hug with a small smile, despite the tension. _"But more than that, Cathy's being so brave, just like her brother. She's terrified inside, but she wants to find their father."_

And while this went on, she thought about Cherit's desire to help; they could use it, but how did they minimize or eliminate the danger to him? "Perhaps" she stated faintly, then she glanced at Cherit. "Perhaps we can measure the energy drain, then determine how much it drains versus how much you have to give."

The winged Titan brightened slightly. "I'd like that" he said, sincerely.

She managed to nod, then she held up her hands. _"Cypher-"_

"I wouldn't, Sophie" Zhalia cut across her, stepping forward. "At least not before we begin."

Heavily surprised, the magic died in her hands. "What, why?"

"If you summon it now, the magic could drain all your Seeker energy, then some of your life force." she said grimly. "I think you should wait until after we open our portal; if you still have power, then you can summon your Cypherdex."

"We don't know if I'll have any power left over" she pointed out, much as she hated to remind herself of that.

Zhalia slowly looked down for a moment, then back up. "I know" she stated faintly. "But, I don't want you to- uh, well, sacrifice any more life energy than you have to. As I understand it, you've used Soulburn twice before, haven't you? And besides, Lok's Holotome would save the need for you to use Cypherdex."

Despite the dangerous undertones of the subject matter, Sophie couldn't help smiling just a little; Zhalia was worried about her.

"Okay, we're- we're ready here" Lok stated, Cathy beside him, slowly nodding.

Feeling dread, she glanced around their team, as everyone else did the same thing; the moment had finally arrived, but it wasn't at all how they thought it'd be.

"Alright" Zhalia spoke, then held out both hands with an air of slight embarrassment. "Everyone, hold hands - this will be our test run."

She slowly held Zhalia's hand, holding Lok's with her other one (his lip twitched a bit, trying to smile... no doubt to try and appear brave, which she appreciated the thought), Cathy holding Lok's other one, Den holding hers, and completing the circle with Zhalia after a slight pause. Cherit made a worried sound as he hovered, obviously hating to be left out, as did they all, even if it was for his own safety.

"Everyone who's seen a Nexus, imagine that color, and a portal that's slightly taller than we are, and twice as wide" Zhalia spoke, then looked at Cathy. "It's a fairly light-blue you're looking for, about seven feet tall, three feet wide, and a little uneven in shape; we've all got to be close. And we've all got to keep the image up for about ten seconds, all of us."

Sophie closed her eyes, remembering the Nexus images she'd seen, then focusing on the image that was required. For a few seconds, all she heard was the sound of everyone's breathing.

"One..."

Lok's hand tightened on hers, and she squeezed it back.

"Two..."

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath-

"Three."

 _"Nexual."_

She groaned, the sound almost lost in the cries of the others; the energy drain was immense! In a mere second she'd gone from full energy to less than an eighth! But despite that, she managed to open her eyes, and they stung at the bright swirling light - but she was elated, it was working!

But in her elation, she lost her grip on her mental image... she realized this too late.

The moment this happened, the swirling light jerked wildly, followed by several others in rapid succession as it lost his shape. With a bit of a drone, it went out-of-control, and disappeared with a sort-of roar.

She could only stare in horror.

The silence was profound, until: "No! Damn it!"

"Lok-" came from his sister, who was more than a little shocked.

"We were so close!" he raged. "Literally right in front of us-!"

The horror fully sunk in. "Oh no..." she breathed, looking at her shaking hands, her vision blurring. "I ruined today's chances-"

"Sophie?"

The shock in Lok's voice was the worst part of it all. "I was just so excited, I lost it!"

"Hey hey, come on" Den said, stepping toward her. "So it didn't work out; we can try again tomorrow!" he said quickly, though his expression was slightly stricken too. "It was just a first try. Plus you're not the only one who had issues keeping the image; I only saw it once after all, and that was awhile ago. I admit... I-I lost it too."

She tried to respond, but couldn't; she just felt awful.

"Sophie... perhaps you'd better use your Cypherdex now. Do you still have power?"

Despite the sadness and the regret, she recognized the careful tone from Zhalia; work through it. From anyone else, it might have seem callous, but it was tinged with understanding for what she was going through. Her breath was unsteady, and her hands shook, but she managed to hold them out. "Cy-" she breathed, but it was too weak, so she tried again. _"Cyphercall."_

The magic drained her even further, and she had to stifle a grunt, but the Cypherdex appeared in her hands. "Cypherdex" she spoke, somewhat weakly. "Scan the recently-drained energy levels of everyone present, including me. And take into account the energy used for Cyphercall."

A mild light ran in a circle across the room, scanning, but she noted it missed Cherit. He noticed as well, so he flew over when it finished, hovering. "Now scan Cherit, and compare his energy levels with the aforementioned drained ones" Sophie said, and it did, briefly covering him in overlapping lines. In the back of her mind, she felt Zhalia had been right, because this was helping, somewhat.

"Question: the energy levels that were drained from all of us recently... would they drain the Titan Cherit of all energy, if he participated in a five-way spell of the same caliber?"

A few seconds of it's scanning noise, then: _"Estimating 51% probability for full draining effect"_ it spoke. _"Calculations are incomplete however."_

Cherit hung his head with a sound, nervous.

"And without his amulet, if Cherit were fully drained-" she continued, dreading the answer, her hands shaking. "What would be the most likely result?"

A few more seconds of noises-

 _"Most likely probability: Death."_

The Cypherdex dropped from her hands - vanishing into energy streams just before it hit the ground.

No one said anything, only looked at Cherit, who was stricken.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Tense... that is all :(**

 **Still, I'd long established/hinted that the Blood Spirals 'inexplicably' knew everything our team was doing... well, that's how; through Den's mark, along with Zhalia's. I always thought the marks deserved some more exploration, and now I've made a little step in that.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	12. Preparation

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **His visit to the Huntik Team complete, Dante departs back to New York after saying goodbye. At the same time, Cathy's training and transition to the Huntik world are coming along steadily, though she possesses an aversion to fighting overall. Later, Zhalia reveals to the team the specifics of making a Huntik portal - a dangerous spell, difficult to maintain, and an immense energy drainer, even resulting in death if done incorrectly. The Huntik team manages to summon a portal, if only for a few moments. And despite Cherit's wish to help, it would be a grave risk for him to attempt it...**

* * *

 _"Preparation"_

 _Episode 64_

* * *

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

It was quiet inside the briefing room, almost too quiet.

Cathy sat on one of those cushions, across from her brother about four feet away, who stared unseeingly at the table, even his fingers toyed with the rings of a puzzle. Zhalia and Den were in other rooms, presumably doing what they could to get their energy back up, and Sophie was coordinating with LeBlanche and Santiago about something. Glancing down, she saw Lok's fingers move the rings around a full 360, over and over... and over and over... *sigh*. Seriously, she knew her brother loved this stuff since he was younger, and that hadn't changed a bit, but this was ridiculous.

 _"Then again, his mind's probably not on that puzzle ring"_ she thought sadly.

"Okay, Santiago get those cans to- Uh..."

When Sophie passed through the doorway and saw Lok, she stopped in her tracks. Her brother glanced toward her, his expression working, but said nothing.

Sophie slowly sighed. "Get them packed up, Santiago" she said faintly, and while Cathy couldn't see Santiago, she did hear his footsteps. Fairly heavy ones at that.

Meanwhile, Sophie slowly approached the table, stopping just to Lok's right. "Can I join you?"

Her brother didn't look up, only glanced. "Sure" he spoke, showing no reluctance or enthusiasm.

Even as Sophie slowly sat down, Cathy wished she could get up, let the two have their moment (whatever kind it would be) - but it wasn't that easy. If she so much as made a sound, her presence would jolt them and reset everything. So she tried to look the other way, not move, and otherwise be part of the room's scenery.

"You probably think I'm an idiot" Lok eventually said, the rings clinking together as they fell.

Sophie didn't answer that, but she did look at him. "I am really sorry, Lok" she said, a little weakly.

He sighed, turning toward her. "I know that" he breathed. "I _know_ that, but - that's still no excuse for me to yell at you."

A flicker of her sadness, but Sophie shook her head. "It wasn't the highlight of my day-" she said, getting stronger as she went on, "-but I knew that you weren't really angry at _me_ yesterday; you were just excited to finally see your father. Having it snatched away would enrage anyone - I just h-happened to be the target. Plus, you were more ranting in general than anything..."

From her spot on the sidelines, Cathy winced. _"Ow, yeah... who knew my brother had that much steam in him?"_ she thought, remembering yesterday. Though, yeah, he'd been more ranting in general, as Sophie said:

 _"Why did this have to happen!? We were so close!"_

 _"L-Lok, I just-"_

 _"I mean seriously, it was right there in front of us!"_

That wasn't all the details, but the gist of it, she was sure. Anyway, her bro had always been an excitable one, always nice - seeing him enraged had been plain unsettling. She wondered if Sophie had noticed that about him...

"But what I said-" Lok continued, with a tone absolutely full of regret.

"I understand, and I wasn't that offended" Sophie said carefully.

Cathy noted that Sophie hadn't mentioned the obvious internal struggle involved; having Lok indirectly blame her, even if actually (somewhat) her fault, would have hurt her pride. That could have easily lead to a rift between them, but Sophie was keeping it down, using reason.

After a moment: "Well, I'll take it" Lok said bracingly, then he looked hesitant. "But, I _am_ sorry for snapping at you, Sophie."

A moment, then: "I appreciate that, Lok" she said, gentler.

"So uh, we're-?"

"Alright. Now get over here."

Lok slowly made a sound, then he went in for the hug.

"However, if you _ever_ take that tone with me again, without a good reason-"

"No mercy" Lok breathed, sheepish. "I know, I know."

At Sophie's slight giggle, Cathy felt relieved, glad her bro and Sophie had smoothed things over... well, as much as could be in those few moments; they'd go back to normal in a few days. Slowly counting to ten, Cathy glanced over at her brother and Sophie when it was over; the two of them were still hugging. Not exactly romantic or warm, but just glad to be with each other, more-or-less. She slowly laughed-

-which, as she'd predicted, jolted the couple right out of their hug.

"Oh, uh, right" her brother said, sheepish. "I forgot you were still there, Cath" he continued, while Sophie appeared to be kicking herself for failing to notice Cathy _at all_.

"Well, forget the awkwardness" Cathy said mildly, standing up; boy was she starting to cramp up. "Instead, since we still have time, there are a few things I've been wanting to ask you."

"Such as?" Sophie asked slowly.

Cathy stretched, making a few sounds in the process. "Well, Titan-related" she breathed, glad things were back to normal. "I'm wondering: are all Titans inspired by legends? The other way around? Or what?"

/

"I'm still not sure why we have to bring in all this food" Den breathed with effort, slowly setting down his boxes with a grunt, then straightening with relief.

Nearby, LeBlanche and Santiago were doing similar work, the latter of which turned toward him. "Lady Sophie fears the logistic problems of food and water within Huntik" he said, setting down his own load. "And I agree."

"But if I remember correctly, Lok's dad has been in Huntik for- what, ten years? All recent evidence says he's still alive" he pointed out.

"And it's encouraging that he's adapted, Den" LeBlanche said gently. "Eathon is a survivalist; it comes with being an adventurer. However, there may be areas of Huntik that do not grow food, edible or otherwise, and so we want to be prepared."

"Hmm" Den breathed, then crossed his arms, glancing at the loads they still had to carry, a few of which were shifting faintly. He sighed, but not just at the workload; his Seeker energy still hadn't recovered to full from yesterday. The memory of that still rankled him - Sophie might have said she'd screwed up first, but he hadn't been lying when he'd lost the image; it had been awhile ago since he'd seen that Nexus image, which rankled at him. "I have nothing against being prepared-" he said, before grunting once. "I just wish we could get this over with; I'm ready and raring to get to Huntik again, finally seeing Lok's dad, the works."

"That's the spirit" the older man said to him.

"But if we don't move, we won't be prepared for the attempt" Santiago added, moving past them with another load, straining a bit.

"Santiago's right you know" came from Cherit, who with much struggling, emerged from the depths of the boxes, carrying his own load. "I may not remember Huntik at all, but it's always best to be prepared."

LeBlanche shared a look with Den, nodded and went back to work.

"Hey, Cherit?" Den asked.

"Yes?" the flying Titan replied.

"I know you've said you don't remember much, but-" he started, pausing to try and find the right way to ask. "Well, how did you become separated from your amulet? I mean, what can do that?"

Cherit hummed, setting down his load on the new pile. "A very good question, Den" he acknowledged faintly. "There are spells that interfere with Seeker/Titan bonds, of course, but permanently separating the Titan from the amulet which summons them? I can only guess!"

" _Have_ you guessed?" Den asked carefully.

The Titan's ears fell briefly. "Perhaps someone managed to attack my amulet while I was out" he said sadly. "Or it was ancient, powerful magic that separated me, leaving my amulet intact out there somewhere. Or something else entirely..."

Something about his tone worried him. "Something else?"

The Titan looked up at him. "I remember being with Lord Casterwill himself, Den" he said seriously. "He fought a war with the Nullifiers for 500 years; who's to say they didn't do something to me during that time?"

All Den could do was stare at Cherit, letting that sink in.

/

 _Slightly later_

"And while we're discussing Titans, why don't we show you more of ours, Cath?" Lok asked. He and Sophie were certainly in a better mood, with their fingertips all-but-touching on the table.

Cathy was glad for them, but the excitement was bigger: "Oh, I'd like that!"

Sophie stood up quickly. "Then I'll fetch your Holotome" she said to Lok, briefly pausing to mess up his hair (Lok's indignant reaction nearly made both women giggle), then she left.

"Now let's see" Lok hummed, after smoothing his hair. "You've already seen Dendras and Raijin, you know I have an Ironsquire, and you've heard I also have a Springer" he continued, then started counted off on his fingers. "That leaves me with uh... five amulets you haven't seen."

"What about your new additions?" she teased.

He chuckled, grinning. "I didn't say we all got new ones" he said, slightly playful. "And either way, those of us who have gotten new additions are to be a surprise."

"I hope not from me" Sophie said mildly, arriving + placing his Holotome on the table - Lok merely made a sheepish sound as she took her previous spot beside him.

"Anyway" Lok breathed, glancing around. "How should we do this? One person shows all their amulets one at a time, or we alternate 'one at a time' between us?"

"Personally, I'd like one person at a time" Cathy said, looking between the couple. "It'll be better organized in my memory that way."

"Alright, but who goes first?"

"Well since you asked, I will."

Her brother made a sound as he realized he'd been had by his own girlfriend.

Sophie merely smirked, then slowly glanced at her right hand. "I wonder if this will work" she asked herself, then held the open palm over the Holotome, which began scanning. Cathy, for her part, was surprised when she saw the brief icon glowing on Sophie's palm (she was quite sure it hadn't been there before).

 _"Powerbonded Sabriel"_ it spoke, to Sophie's slight surprise, that it had actually worked that was. Meanwhile, an image of a female armored warrior appeared, flourishing dual scimitars. _"Attack: 4; Defense: 4; Type: Draco-Titan Warrior; Size: Average; Special Abilities: Unaffected by Injury, Truth Shield, Diving Kick"_

"She kinda looks like you, Sophie" Cathy noted, interested. "And you clearly have a strong bond... but how did her symbol appear on your hand?"

Sophie made a sound, looking at the symbol on her palm, which slowly vanished. "A long story" she admitted, hand becoming a fist. "The gist of it is Sabriel- well, she sacrificed herself for me, destroying her amulet... but because our bond was so strong, she never really left. Then she Powerbonded, making her amulet part of my body, in essence."

"That last part isn't very common" Lok added quickly. "The amulet + symbol becoming part of our bodies, I mean - and besides, they disappear until they're invoked."

"Oh... well uh, don't stop now."

...

To shorten a repeat series of events, Cathy learned quite a bit about her brother, Sophie, their Titans, and more insights about their journeys.

Sophie herself had quite a few female warrior Titans, which she approved of. These had included Powerbonded Sorcerel, a Titan sister to Sabriel, which she could definitely see ( _"Powerbonded Sorcerel. Attack: 5; Defense: 3; Type: Draco-Titan Sorcerer; Size: Average; Special Abilities: Flight, Armor Force, Triple Truth Shield"_ ); Feyone, a Celtic-Irish warrior ( _"Feyone. Attack: 3; Defense: 1; Type: Gaia-Titan Warrior; Size: Average; Special Ability: Knockback"_ ); and Icarus, a humanoid with bird-like wings instead of arms, which she personally thought was cool ( _"Icarus. Attack: 2; Defense: 2; Type: Krono-Titan Sharpshooter; Size: Average; Special Abilities: Flight, Blinding Bolts"_ ).

Those weren't the only type of Titans in Sophie's arsenal though. Aside from one Titan she wouldn't show, saying it was to make sure she didn't steal one of Lok's five remaining Titans (he'd been simultaneously sheepish and playfully indignant), the others were quite varied:

They included Enfluxion, a female-ish water spirit with tendrils for arms, a minor detail that sorta creeped her out, even though she knew the Titan was fairly good ( _"Enfluxion. Attack: 2; Defense: 3; Type: Krono-Titan Sorcerer; Size: Average; Special Ability: Tidal Wave"_ ); Kelpie, an aquatic horse Titan who she thought was cute, but the mane of blue flames had briefly confused her ( _"Kelpie. Attack: 3; Defense: 2; Type: Gaia-Titan Speedstar; Size: Average; Special Ability: Mirage Blitz"_ ); and then the real surprise, Phoenix itself! Seriously, Sophie held _the_ Phoenix with her, with nearly all the powers they had in mythology, except for the fact that it was a large bird-of-prey ( _"Phoenix. "Attack: 6; Defense: 4; Type: Legendary Titan Sorcerer; Size: Large; Special Abilities: Firewall, Revival"_ ).

Sophie bringing out Phoenix had also lead to this little conversation:

 _"I know you told me that some of the legends existed bro, like Phoenix, Cerberus and Queztalcoatl, but to actually have them? That's just too cool!"_

 _"Yeah, well, sometimes it happens" her brother had told her, chuckling a bit._

 _"But it took hard work to get Phoenix in the first place" from Sophie, who's expression worked a little. "To get her, while still afraid of fire, I had to jump into the middle of a lava pit-"_

 _"What!?"_

 _"Relax Cath! It was just part of the test! Phoenix protected her because she was brave enough to do so!"_

That still rattled her - jumping into lava? She knew adventuring had a dangerous side to them, but that was just crazy!

...and anyway, her brother had been next, after she'd sorta calmed down.

Much like Sophie, his Titans were fairly varied. It began with Hoplite, a centaur-like Titan, but had lion parts instead of the usual horse - and it also turned out to be the Titan Sophie didn't show her ( _"Hoplite. Attack: 2; Defense: 1; Type: Krono-Titan Warrior; Size: Average; Special Ability: Teamwork"_ ); Kipperin, a surprisingly moth-like Titan, but large enough that you couldn't swat him so easily, yet kinda cute ( _"Powerbonded Kipperin. "Attack: 3; Defense: 5; Type: Gaia-Titan Scout; Size: Small; Special Abilities: Flight, Winged Fusion, Light Burst"_ ); and Baselaird, a heavily armored warrior Titan, reminiscent of a knight in shining armor, just a lot bulkier ( _"Powerbonded Baselaird. Attack: 6; Defense: 5; Type: Krono-Titan Warrior; Size: Medium; Special Abilities: Defender, Energy Ray, Focus Blade"_ ).

Overall, pretty cool, all of them - but then things took a turn for the awesome when he pulled out a twisting-spiral Amulet.

 _"Queztalcoatl. Attack: 6; Defense: 5; Type: Legendary Titan Sorcerer; Size: Colossal; Special Abilities: Flight, Transformation"_

Her little brother had managed to get Queztalcoatl, _the_ Queztalcoatl, in his arsenal! Did everyone on this team have such well-known mythology Titans with them!?

 _"...let me guess, he took hard-work yet was totally worth it?"_

 _"Completely!" Lok had exclaimed. "He totally wasted those Blood Spirals-"_

 _"Don't forget his other purpose, Lok" Sophie chided._

 _He rubbed his head for a moment, chuckling. "Right, and_ after _that-" he said mildly, "Queztalcoatl transformed himself into a special blue star, as a rallying sign to the Casterwill family, to fight back against the Blood Spirals."_

 _She'd had been surprised. "He can do that?"_

 _"Apparently! But don't worry, he can change back, with some effort."_

 _"Crazy"_ Cathy had thought at the time.

But of course her little bro had to surprise her yet again, and not just with the fancy sword summoning-

...

"Well, that just leaves one Titan left" Lok said mildly. "Though, he might be the biggest shock."

"That might be an understatement" Sophie snarked, while Lok just grinned briefly; that was very common with them, and it was pretty cute.

For her part, Cathy wanted to say she doubted anything could surprise her at this point, but she knew better. "Well then, don't keep me waiting" she said. "If I'm gonna be surprised, then why wait?"

"Good point" Lok acknowledged, then carefully held both hands above his head. She was just about to ask what he was doing when-

 _"Bladecall!"_

With a few fancy energy swirls, a sword appeared in his hands. However, while surprised, Cathy quickly noted it seemed 'off'... it looked more like a letter-opener with it's size, or perhaps a prop at worst.

"Cathy, this is the Willblade" Sophie explained. "Wielded by the champion of Casterwill, which happens to be Lok at this time."

Lok was sheepish, for a moment. "It wasn't exactly my intention when we came across it, but it happened" he said. "And I've had to constantly prove myself worthy of wielding it."

"...you're all like heroes or something" she finally said, surprised, then letting it out with some sort of laugh. "And I _thought_ you were showing me your next Titan, bro?"

"I am" her bro said, winking as he adjusted the handle, which to her surprise moved like the pieces of a puzzle. Cathy had just enough time to see the shortened symbol of a sword on it's handle, then the Willblade changed: the separate guards moved sideways, the blade extended to about 1.5x it's normal size (now actually looking like a legit sword)... and something else happened. She saw the 'jewel' of the sword melt away, revealing an amulet inside - which Lok took out. Then Lok carefully set the Willblade down on the table, even as the 'jewel' went back to normal somehow.

"That's it, right?" Cathy asked after a moment, glancing back at the jewel briefly.

"Quite" Lok said, holding the amulet over the Holotome, which began scanning yet again. The image that appeared from the amulet, she first took to be a dragon - however, his wings were made of seven blade-like swords, not anything entirely solid. Plus, it stood completely upright, something she knew dragons didn't really do... so why was she getting a strong dragon presence from this one?

 _"Powerbonded Pendragon"_ it spoke. _"Attack: 8; Defense; 8; Type: Legendary Titan Warrior/Sorcerer; Size: Large; Special Abilities: Blade Flair, Energy Sword Breath, Bladestorm"_

In order, her reactions were as follows: _"Dang"_ Cathy thought, regarding it's obviously high stats; shock that her brother had another Legendary Titan; that 'cool' feeling you get at something awesome; the confirmation that this was a type of dragon/based off one, maybe... then stunned realization when something else hit her. "Wait a minute" she said, standing up in disbelief. "Lok, _you Powerbonded with a Legendary Titan!?_ "

Her brother slowly made a string of sheepish sounds. "It was a life-or-death situation" he said weakly, rubbing his head. "I doubt I could do it again so easily-"

"Lok, don't be modest!"

"I think it's true though! Without it being life-or-death, I doubt anyone could Powerbond with Legendary Titans. And I'm the one that went through this process here after all."

"You may be right, but it hasn't been proven yet-"

Even as the couple debated this, Cathy tried to get the shock out of her head long enough to say something, but failed. Until she heard footsteps, (Lok and Sophie didn't, just yet), so she turned around-

Zhalia walked in, arms crossed, slowly raising an eyebrow at the scene. "Having fun?"

She slowly made a sheepish sound, aware that Zhalia's question had ended the couple debate behind her. "I've been surprised quite a bit, but, yeah" she slowly answered, rubbing her head.

"Did you have something you wanted to say though, Zhalia?"

"Yes, Lok" Zhalia answered, but before she could continue, heavy footsteps sounded... and Den rushed to a stop in the doorway, panting a little, soon followed by Cherit. "Hey uh, we've finished packing" he said, before he found Zhalia looking at him. "Did I miss something?"

"Nope, just in time" she said lightly, looking back at Lok. "Anyway, you should know that our Seeker energy is back to normal from yesterday."

Everyone glanced at Lok, who processed this, then he quickly stood up. "Okay, but uh, how is everything else?" he asked, looking around.

"We have all the supplies" Cherit said, but a little dispirited; he was still sad that he didn't get to take part, as they wouldn't let him take the risk. "We just need to get them into the backpacks."

"How long?"

* * *

As it turned out, barely fifteen minutes - everyone stood together, flying in Cherit's case, looking more than a little nervous all-around.

"Are we ready?"

Starting from his left, Den slowly crossed his arms, sighing, while Cherit tried to give him his usual smile - however, it was strained. Then there was Zhalia, who was carefully reserved as usual, yet even she was showing signs of effort. At the moment, Cathy held a hastily-drawn picture of a Nexus (done by Den, who swore he wouldn't let anyone forget this time) in her hands, trying to burn it into her memory. Even LeBlanche and Santiago were present with the team's packs + suitcases (packed with other essentials), prepared for them, though a bit further back. Lok remembered he had to thank them for their help, and not just about getting supplies that wouldn't spoil or break easily.

Then Lok slowly looked at Sophie, who returned it - a lot passed between them in that moment, good and bad, but for the most part, he saw only understanding and determination in her eyes. He gently took her hand, trying to show that he understood, and she appreciated it. His lip curved a bit, before he returned his attention to the group, who were all looking at him expectantly. "Alright. Now, let's get down to it" Lok said, squeezing Sophie's hand, then looked at Zhalia.

She slowly nodded, pulling out an amulet.

 _"Open the door between dimensions, Janusea the Gatekeeper!"_

The dimensional Titan appeared with a flourish, floating just behind their circle, orbs swirling. Something passed between her and Zhalia, and the Titan become very serious as a result, knowing what was at stake.

At the same time, Cathy was a bit surprised, interested, and confused. "What's she for?" Cathy asked, looking between Janusea and Zhalia.

Lok made a sound. "Janusea's specialty is dimensional boundaries, and we're attempting to make a portal" he tried to explain. "Perhaps she can help us maintain it this time around."

"Indeed" Zhalia said, before adding, "Using her beforehand is a risk for my energy levels, but I believe it's worth it."

When no one else said anything, the group slowly looked around each other one more time.

"Let's do it" Lok said bracingly, holding his hand out for Den (who eventually took it after a small reaction; awkward, he knew). Everyone else did so as well, excluding Cherit, with Zhalia adding a 'Be ready' command to Janusea. Everyone's eyes closed, imagining the same image from last time.

"One... Two... Three."

 _"Nexual."_

He groaned, hard, even as Sophie + everyone else made similar sounds; he had _not_ been looking forward to doing this again.

Lok listened intently, keeping his eyes shut and squeezing Sophie's hand, who returned the favor. He heard the portal (loudly) come into being, and it continued to swirl by the sound of it, but he counted to ten, still maintaining the image in his head. The effort brought a slight sweat to his brow, but otherwise, he managed. When the count was over, he opened his eyes slowly... he saw was a relatively stable portal, aided by Janusea - it swirled at random intervals and strengths, but it was very low-key.

"We did it" he whispered, blinking.

No one responded to that; no one needed to.

Lok slowly breathed out-

-which was cut short when the portal began to swirl erratically. He only just began to feel horror when he noticed Janusea herself was agitated, trying to maintain control, but clearly she hadn't expected this either. Not a good sign!

"Well don't just stand there! Perhaps we can-!"

Whatever he was going to say, it was cut off when something streamed from the portal itself, directed through one of Janusea's orbs (seemingly against her command). It flickered and distorted several times, briefly formed an image of a blue wolf Titan, but eventually turned into something human-shaped...

Then appeared the form of Eathon Lambert.

"Dad!?"

The projection of him panted slightly, his form flickering. _"Lok"_ he said, briefly clutching at his side. _"I can't maintain this image for long, so listen carefully._ _Clearly your team has created a stable means of visiting the Spirit World; Jirwolf has sensed it, along with your previous attempt. You must find me as quickly as possible; the Professor is working with the Blood Spirals, and if he escapes, the world will be in grave danger. And I fear he's helping The Betrayer to summon the Nullifiers yet again."_

"Well, w-we'll get there" he stammered a bit. "We just need a little more time!"

 _"I understand, but hurry"_ Eathon said.

"...Daddy?"

The one word drew the attention of the entire room - for his part, Lok was stunned how weak she'd sounded, and that she was nearly in tears. Only then did why hit him- the moment she'd spoken though, Eathon gasped, whirling around in shock. _"C-Cathy?"_ he breathed, stepping forward weakly. _"Is that you?"_

Cathy reached forward, hardly daring to believe, but fully aware this was a hologram and she couldn't touch him - despite this, her hand touched his arm anyway, which flickered around her fingers before she withdrew. "Dad, I-"

 _"You're here"_ he whispered, also clearly aching to embrace his daughter. _"Cathy, I'm so sorry I haven't been there-"_

She made a sound, wiping at her eyes hurriedly. "I've been fine" she said quickly, still weak, with flickers of a lot of other emotions. "But Dad, I've missed you so much! Do you have any idea-?"

 _"I know, I know"_ he said quickly, placing his hand on her shoulder, ignoring the flickering image of his hand. _"But Cathy, are you-?"_

Whatever he was gonna ask, it was lost in the erratic swirling; the portal was starting to collapse.

"Dad!?" Lok exclaimed, stepping right beside Cathy, trying to determine what he could do! Above him, Janusea was struggling to maintain the portal, and for several tense seconds it swerved back-and-forth... until it stabilized somewhat, Eathon staggering a bit, touching a finger to his temple.

"Dad, are you okay!?"

 _"I'm fine"_ he said, observing his increasingly-flickering form with reluctance, then: _"But it's clear I'm running out; I wish we had all the time in the world to talk, but we don't."_

Lok held his hand out quickly. "We'll find you, dad" he said bracingly, then he looked at Cathy. "Count on it!"

It took her several seconds, but she quickly added her hand, rather shakily. "Y-Yeah, we will!"

He smiled, placing his hand over theirs, despite the fact they couldn't touch. _"I know"_ he said, full of emotion, but proud. _"Lok, Cathy, I love you both so much"_ he continued, even as his form was nearly gone. _"Tell Sandra that I'm fine, and that I love her-"_

His projection vanished, and the portal swirled out of control, disappearing in a flash of light. Above them, Janusea slowly slumped in exhaustion, then her form vanished in a burst of light, returning to Zhalia.

No one spoke.

"Cath?" Lok asked slowly, weak.

She looked at him, uneasy. "...we'll find him, Lok" she breathed, determined despite the tears in her eyes. "I-I'll help – I _want_ to help."

He slowly nodded, seeing his sister barely holding herself together. "Yeah" he whispered. "C-Count on it."

Cathy breathed out, the tears falling for real now, which she hurried to wipe away. By instinct, he stepped forward and held his sister, feeling weak himself...

She slowly leaned against him, shaking.

* * *

 _Blood Spiral Base_

 _Unknown Location_

The throne room pulsed with red, the source coming from the body submerged in the pool. Wind stood at the head of the pool, 'conversing' with The Betrayer - at the same time, Shauna was observing this, while Kiel just walked in.

He grunted, arms crossed, holding the thing Shauna had ordered him to get. "Why him?" Kiel asked, putting the chest down. "Wind can't even speak!"

"Because it is The Betrayer's command, so shut it!"

The moment she ended her threat, The Betrayer's red glow faded away, Wind slowly turning around.

"Well?" she demanded.

Wind merely walked toward them, never saying a word - however, Shauna's expressions changed every now and then. "Is that so?" she asked of herself, almost thoughtful.

"You can't be serious, Shauna!" Kiel nearly exploded, pointing a finger at Wind, who did not react. "He didn't say anything!"

"Wind speaks telepathically, Kiel" she said dismissively, sarcastic and mocking, before smirking. "Perhaps that's the only answer you can comprehend."

"Yeah, well I'm not buying it" Kiel countered, stepping closer to Wind, who returned the glare evenly. "I've heard you grunt, Wind; I know you can talk!"

Wind merely rolled his eyes, walking past him without concern.

From the way Shauna leaned back with a smirk, it was clear she was expecting entertainment... and she wasn't disappointed.

The snub further enraged Kiel, and he threw himself at Wind - the tackle knocked them to the ground, but Wind recovered and threw Kiel off him. Kiel quickly got up after impact, coming straight at Wind, who readied himself. The next few seconds were a flurry of blows and counterattacks, which included but were not limited to Kiel landing a blow to the jaw, and Wind kicking his legs out from under him. This fight was constantly intertwined with yells/grunts, most of which came from Kiel. However, at one point, Wind landed a blow on Kiel's face-

-but even as he was hurled away, Kiel's hand happened to be in line with Wind's mouth bandages, just as it was instinctively closing.

 _Rip_

Kiel landed roughly, but he recovered quickly, surprised at what was held in his hands - then he simply grinned. "I knew it" he said triumphantly, looking at Wind. "You can- _What the hell are you!?_ "

Wind glared at him with such hatred, it would have frightened any normal person.

Where his mouth should have been, there was a gap - haphazardly sewn/patched over with skin grafts in Frankenstein-esque fashion, the clenched teeth showing through in numerous spots.

Wind rushed straight at Kiel-

Before he could finish things, an intense red glow radiated across the throne room - Wind slowed feet away from Kiel, utterly still, not happy.

Even as the intense red glow continued, Shauna slowly rose from the throne. "Well, as much as this has been amusing-" she said, raising a hand. "The Betrayer wishes that you know your place, Kiel! _Mindshift!"_

A maroon glow enveloped Kiel, making him writhe in agony, yells included. He clutched his head as he stumbled around, but the spell forced him to his knees, and finally to the ground - and when his yells ceased, it was clear he was unconscious. Wind merely observed the entire time, his back to Shauna. She regarded the scene for a moment, but before she could do anything, a materializing light drew her attention.

 _"I'm growing impatient, Shauna"_ the Professor's image spat.

"That is not my concern" she said dismissively. "You are the one who cannot wait for things to fall into place. We have the spell, but have not perfected it ourselves."

 _"I don't 'care' if it's not perfect"_ he exclaimed, even angrier. _"What is the loss of a few pawns compared to our goals?"_

Shauna merely smirked. "Normally, I would agree" she said silkily. "But if they can still be of use to The Betrayer, I will not sink that low, not yet."

 _"Then perhaps I'll take no part in your plans-"_

"You _will_ take part, even if we have to drag your overweight corpse" she said in a low, hard voice. "And if you wish to keep breathing, I suggest you be quiet, and learn some patience."

For good measure, she disrupted the image, forcing it to collapse.

It was quiet in the throne room for awhile, until she walked down the throne's steps, finally stopping just behind Wind. He half-turned, enough that his glance could see her, but his mouth remained hidden by the shadows. She said nothing, merely searched through the pack on her right leg (without looking), then held out her hand. Wind glanced down at it, where strips of fresh bandages lay in her palm, and he took them carefully. First thing he did was rip off what remained of the old ones around his face.

And as he worked, his expression changed - she knew that look, and what he was thinking about, because it concerned this incident:

 _She had been severely injured; every doctor said she might not be able to walk again. She'd hated their timid half-measures, their treating her like a child, but especially their pity. The only one who did not was another patient, one who would not talk, and who only communicated in writing. She had not thought much of this 'Wind', until he offered to steal the prototype serum, who could give her legs back, at risk of great pain. She'd accepted, and he had succeeded, personally injecting her with the serum - ah, the rush that day had provided!_

 _She could walk again, but more important was the ally she had found._

 _He was much like her: not afraid to do the dirty work, to get things done. She had asked why he was so angry at the world, something she shared._

 _Wind had merely removed his bandages... but no matter what, he would only write it was the work of a single 'madman'._

Wind finished tying up his bandages, his mouth hidden again. But his expression said he was fully aware what they were both thinking of - she merely looked at him, arms crossed. Then the moment passed, and good thing; she was not one for overt sentimentality.

"Of course he was serious" she dismissed in response, looking back at the throne. "He's ugly as a toad, but he's not entirely dumb; he knows we're planning to betray him. And I have no doubts he's planning the same, even if he's descending into insanity."

Wind merely tilted his head slightly.

She laughed. "It doesn't matter in the slightest" she said savagely. "We're ready for him."

In the background, Kiel started to stir, clutching at his head. "Ugh... what happened...?" he breathed.

No one answered, or even looked at him.

"Perhaps before he gets whiny, take him to Murdock for training, and focus on getting Kiel angry" Shauna said in an undertone, Wind slowly nodding. "He must be prepared" she added, before moving toward the chest Kiel had put down.

Picking it up herself, she opened it, grinning savagely.

They won't see this coming!

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Still tense, but despite being a little more heart-breaking, things are getting better**

 **Now, at the risk of inflicting mood whiplash, I really like writing those Holotome lines, hehe. Every time I write in that style, I can hear the female voice reciting the stats perfectly. Plus I enjoyed the potential look at Shauna and Wind, teasing + hinting that they're more than simply (powerful) evil soldiers, and at the same time knowing they aren't ones for overt hints... of any kind lol. Plus of course, my thoughts on what Wind could be hiding under those bandages.**

 **My idea of that does raise the question though, 'How does he eat?' - I imagine he does so 'very carefully'.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	13. Destruction

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Preparations continue for the Huntik team's next attempt to enter the Spirit World, Huntik, including questions of logistics, and Cathy's continuing knowledge of Seekers spells + Titans. However, even as they successfully create a portal, it is waylaid by an image of Eathon Lambert. He tells Lok that he and his team need to find him as quickly as possible, and reveals their enemies are working together, but is considerably surprised when he sees Cathy with the team. All three wish they could embrace each other, but Eathon manages to express how proud he is before the portal vanishes...**

* * *

 _"Destruction"_

 _Episode 65_

* * *

 _Fortress of Iron Will_

"Grr, damn these old fools; they won't even stop to think about this!"

Lane stood on the sideline, watching his pacing. "You should have expected this, Lucas" she said carefully. "You may retain your Elder position, but you've lost favor with the others."

"I'm well aware of my own family's views" he said shortly, still pacing. "I've lived with them nearly my entire life, and I tried to get Sophie to see that point-of-view quite some time ago. But these Elders... I never expected them to be so intractable to even the smallest changes."

"Perhaps you can emphasize with Sophie now" Dellix added, arms crossed, standing beside Lane.

He half turned, teeth gritted, fist clenched and shaking... but he struggled against it, turning back away with a grunt. Dellix might be right; this must have been similar to how he'd argued against Sophie in the past.

He knew why he was struggling though: every single Casterwill instinct and line of thinking from the Elders had been in-bred since he was a child, and they were a part of him. Everything told him that they shouldn't fight, that they should converse their numbers and strength, let the Blood Spirals be someone else's problem... he and many others shared that view. But for him, it was not so simple, because of his sister - she had the Casterwill spirit, but absolutely hated their inactivity. He had seen that as early as her trial, but had initially dismissed, because he thought he could turn it from it. He'd been wrong, and started to accept this, after the battle at the Fortress of Iron Will.

 _"Sophie has the same spirit as all of us"_ he thought. _"The fierceness, the power... and only now do I fully see it... the stubbornness as well."_

Lucas slowly sighed.

He was proud of Sophie, but he would continue to protect her best he could, no matter the cost or how he had to do it. Knowing she did not like being forcibly coddled though, and reconciling that with his inbred instincts, were two different things however...

"Hey, Lucas!"

He turned, seeing Viviane running up from the path, accompanied by her bodyguards. In the months since the battle with The Betrayer, she had started growing a bit, but still had a long way to go. "Viviane? What are you doing here?" Lane wondered.

"I got Metz's message, same as you" she said, somewhat breathless as she stopped just in front of him, brushing a section of hair out of her face. "I came here to see the Elder's decision! Am I too late?"

"Unfortunately, yeah" Lane continued, stepping up beside Lucas, along with Dellix. "They ruled against us."

Viviane was put off, but recovered quickly: "Well, perhaps I can help!" she said. "I'm still the Lady of the Lake, which means I have some authority; maybe I can change their minds, Lucas."

"That's gonna be quite difficult" he said quietly. "You might not make a difference."

She stepped closer. "But I gotta try" she said, determined. "Sophie would do no less, and neither should you, Lucas!"

"And if they still refuse, what would you have me do?"

Viviane crossed her arms. "Well, if I were you and it came to that, I'd choose my own sister over the Elders!"

Silence rained over the small group, Lane and Dellix looking at each other, even as Lucas glared at Viviane (who did not once look away). For his part, he could see Sophie rubbing off on Viviane; her expression had hints of the same severe look.

He grunted faintly. "We're going in there" he announced, half-turning. "And Dellix... be prepared to contact Metz, no matter how this goes."

Then he walked right past them, not noticing the looks shared between the other three.

"He really has changed" Dellix said, looking at Lane, who nodded.

* * *

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _The next day_

Woah, close call.

Cathy's leg had nearly connected with his head - he dodged under it and counterattacked, keeping up a flurry of punches, pushing her back across the practice field. Even as he did so, Den watched from the sidelines, along with Cherit. From the sweat on the two combatants, they'd been going at this for awhile, but no one had tired out yet. Still, his sister had come a long way, as he hadn't held back in their martial art sessions since yesterday!

Speaking of no holding back, Lok grunted as Cathy managed to grab his arm, then twist it around his back tightly.

He still laughed. "Nice work" he said, noting the amount of pressure was nearly as if she was serious.

"Giving up, bro?" she asked, rather playfully; something that almost never changed, for which he was glad for.

"Not really!"

Things happened quickly: first he stepped forward, then flipped himself up-and-over using the wall (so glad that was there), gripping Cathy's arm in return, intending to reverse the situation. However, Cathy managed to keep her wits even as things were in motion; a really good quality that the team encouraged. Anyway, as he landed behind her, she did nothing about the arm grip, but her leg swept directly underneath his... the result being that thanks to the sudden shift of gravity, he ended up on the floor, groaning a bit from the impact.

Cathy didn't put a foot on his back or anything, but that was okay; her moves had been pretty cool (even with the slight bruises).

"Are you okay?" she asked above him.

Lok lifted himself, chuckling a bit. "I've had much worse, Cath" he said mildly, brushing himself off. "And besides, that was pretty awesome of you-"

"Well, I don't know about that" she said, a little meek, arms behind her back. "I still haven't had nearly enough practice as all of you-"

"But you still managed to get the better of me me today" Lok said sincerely. "Cath, that means you have a fair shot!"

Cathy held her hands up, "Woah there, Lok" she breathed. "I really do appreciate you saying that, but don't overestimate things."

"She's right, Lok" Den said, stepping up. "Cathy's getting good; we can't deny that. But while she's got martial arts down, we need to get her to the same level with Seeker spells, and Titan summoning."

"She'll get there though" Cherit added, with a little smile. "She's already improved so much."

Lok nodded a bit, and somehow, this action made him aware of something: he reeked from sweat. He winced, hand near his nose. "Ah, do you guys need me for that?" he asked faintly. "Because I'm reeking over here."

Cathy giggled, while Den got a small smile beside her. "Yeah, I wanted to say something bro, but hey, we were busy" she said, arms crossed.

"Ha ha ha" Lok said, both playfully and normally, even as he started walking out, grabbing a towel. As we walked out, he heard part of their conversation:

"Alright Cathy, let's work on a few more of your spells. You remember them?"

"Yeah, uh, there's Armorbrand, Hyperstride, mmh, Raypulse and Touch... g-goat?

A laugh, then: "Touch _ram_ , but you were close."

Lok paused at the door, struggling not to laugh himself - classic, that was! And because he'd already paused, he looked back at the three of them laughing, smiling... then he was slightly confused. Something was poking out of Den's pocket; what appeared be a dark pair of sunglasses.

What would he need those for?

* * *

 _A little later_

Sophie paced back-and-forth in the hallway, arms crossed, rather brooding. If only Cherit wasn't off training with Den, Lok, and Cathy, maybe she could talk to him about this. Was she seeing too much into it though? Was it even a problem that needed solving yet?

She wasn't sure-

"Oh!" - "Umph!"

"What the-?" she breathed, backing up before she saw that she'd bumped into Lok (and he into her). How did she not see him earlier? "Lok?"

He rubbed his head sheepishly, adjusting the towel around his shoulders. "Hey, Sophie" he said, "I was just on my way for a shower, I turned the corner and I was looking down-"

When he said 'shower', she breathed in several times subtly, and recoiled. "You definitely need one, Lok, because you _reek_!" Sophie exclaimed, keeping her fingers near her nose.

Initially surprised, he just chuckled sheepishly. "So I've heard" he said, slightly playful even as he moved around her, hand on the bathroom knob. Just as he opened it though, he looked back at her with a strange smirk. "Just don't think of trying the 'walking in on me' cliche" he said mildly.

It took her a few seconds to comprehend, but when she did, she gasped, taking a step back as her cheeks heated rapidly. In those few seconds, Lok had already gone inside, closing the door behind him, so he hadn't seen/heard any of this - the sounds of running water soon followed.

Heart pounding, she slowly leaned against the wall, aware of the 'rush' that was going through her body. Instinctive memories of her feeling-up Lok's chest rose unbidden, at least before she forced them back down. Despite all that, what really kept her standing there was the sheer surprise - Lok was biologically a guy, and he did have those instincts, at least somewhere. But unlike many teenage boys, he did not give much (conscious) thought to romance and/or intimacy; he preferred puzzles and adventures. So to hear him tease her about walking in on him while he was in the shower, even if he did it purely to be playful, and knew she wouldn't actually do it?

 _"That's new"_ Sophie thought, flustered even as she held a hand near her heart. She was further embarrassed when she realized she had (sorta) enjoyed that tease...

At the same time, her good feelings warred with the instinct that this was wrong; she shouldn't encourage that kind of behavior. But she tried to stop thinking like that - it was not wrong to indulge those kinds of feelings, at least privately. And more than that, as Lok had said to her on the plane to Ireland (least in general), showing the occasional 'urge' that she wanted to be more intimate (again, privately), also wasn't bad. By all rights, he was able to do the same, occasionally-

 _"I certainly can't say to him 'keep it to a minimum'"_ she thought. _"It wouldn't be fair"_

She thought about this for awhile...

In fact, by the time she was done, she realized the water was no longer running, and she was starting to cramp up from having leaned against the wall.

 _"H-Have I really been standing here that long?"_ Sophie wondered, more than a little shocked.

She didn't have time to answer, as the bathroom door opened, instinctively drawing her gaze.

Lok's first reaction was massive surprise that she was still _right there_ , which she couldn't blame him for (still shocked herself), but he slowly closed the door behind him. "Sophie, you stuck around?" Lok asked, sounding like he was trying to be playful, but completely overshadowed by genuine curiosity/confusion.

That helped a little, and she pushed herself away from the wall, holding her arm with her other hand. "Y-Yeah, I did, but mostly to think" she said, heart still beating fast. "You heavily surprised me with that comment, Lok."

He glanced away, looking conflicted. "You mean, that you hated it?" he asked.

"...near the opposite, actually."

Jolted, he looked back at her. "Sophie?"

She stepped closer. "Lok, it's not like you to make those kinds of comments" she said, a little shy. "That's why I was surprised."

Lok noted how close she was, and appeared to put two-and-two together. "So, you liked it" he said softly, only half a question, slowly putting both hands on her arms.

She returned that gesture, even as they were an inch apart. "A little" she breathed, eyes half-closed.

They kissed gently, lasting for about two seconds before she pulled away slightly.

"Hold me, Lok" she whispered softly.

"Hmm?"

Her answer was to kiss him again.

She felt his surprise, but he was quick to comply, holding her tight around her back, even as they kissed. It stayed simple for awhile, during which she toyed with his wet hair, and his hands gently rubbed her back through her shirt. Somewhere along the line, she stepped up their kiss, even making Lok groan as she touched her tongue to his lower lip. Lok returned her affection eagerly, holding her even tighter against him, even as his mouth met hers with equal force. Even now and then, his grip slipped down her back, but remained tight.

She didn't notice this at all, until-

"Mmph!"

Her squeak and sudden halt startled Lok, breaking their kiss, panting a little. "S-Sophie?" he breathed.

She couldn't answer; her heart was beating in her throat, cheeks red.

Lok soon realized why: somewhere/somehow along the line, his hands had instinctively moved from her back, right onto her tailbone.

He soon turned red himself, but aside from 'twitching' and a strangled sound, his hands seemed frozen (which showed in his expression). "I, ah- Sophie?" he breathed, a little freaked.

She tried to answer, really, but couldn't get a word out.

"T-Too soon?"

Strangely, that got her to answer: "Yes... and no."

Her answer surprised both of them, enough that his hands jerked away, but he stayed close. "W-What?" Lok whispered, blinking. " _Why?_ "

"No, because someone could see us out here" she managed shakily, looking away briefly. "But yes... well, maybe it could be an... an..."

He blinked several times, staring at her, apparently unable to react more.

She tried to calm her fast-beating heart, to no avail. When several seconds passed and nothing changed, "I uh" she breathed, then coughed a bit, heavily embarrassed. "Lok, let's discuss this later, please."

Lok blinked once more, then shook his head vigorously, even bopping his own head. "Yeah, that sounds good!" he said, louder than was necessary (which he realized). "Uh - s-sorry. Anyway, yeah, I didn't have any idea what to say about that."

"So... like normal?" she asked, not entirely playful, but she was getting better.

Lok had no such issue: "Hey!"

His genuine indignation made her giggle, and that helped immensely. "Oh good, I needed that!"

Even as she laughed, Lok tried to choose between staying indignant, and laughing along with her.

/

"Defend!"

Solar and Lunar created a 'wall' of fire and moonbeams, the result of which indirectly knocked Freelancer back, but he quickly recovered from it.

"That's good; you've got the defense down. Now attack!"

"Solar!"

Just as Cathy called it, Den motioned, and Dullahan stepped forward - his shield breathed fire through use of Flame Burst, canceling out Solar's attack.

Thus far, her training had been fairly good; she'd managed to successfully use Armorbrand, Raypulse and Touchram earlier (though Hyperstride still needed work). And after that, they'd moved onto Titan summoning and battles, and here they were: himself, wielding Dullavan (a headless knight wielding a shield with a face) and Freelancer (a loyal knight who wielded a large lance + shield) - facing Cathy, who was using Solar and Lunar (two sprite Titans who wielded much larger elemental versions of themselves, one for the sun, and another for the moon).

Den had to admit, she'd really taken to her mom's two Titans, as did they to her. In most every case, all three instinctively moved to defend each other - though as he'd noted before, Cathy preferred not to attack at all.

 _"'Don't force her to attack though, Den. Definitely have her practice, but don't push it too far.'"_ he heard in his head, the quote being Lok's advice.

He was certainly being careful about that - he just hoped he was doing this leader aspect right... it was harder than he'd initially thought.

"Alright" Den said out loud. "I'm gonna step it up now, Cathy. You should experience the energy drain from a defeated Titan at least once, before things get serious, so that you're prepared."

Her answer was a nervous groan of sorts - which he couldn't blame, having no love for the feeling himself. Still, he wondered if all this training would translate well into actual battles; tests you could prepare for, while actual battles could hit out of nowhere.

Would they scare Cathy into running?

He didn't know, and that worried him.

/

"But really, Sophie, what were you thinking about earlier?"

"Before or after you bumped into me?"

"Before that, silly."

She gave him a small, playful look at that, but conceded anyway, slowly walking into the briefing room. Her cheeks were still pink from earlier, but she was much better. "Actually, I'm a bit concerned" Sophie said, arms crossed as she sat down. "About Den."

Lok jolted, stepping closer and sitting down beside her. "What about him, Sophie?"

"Have you noticed how he's been acting while in charge of Cathy's training, Lok?"

He blinked, then glanced up, thinking for a minute. "Ah... he hasn't done anything strange that I know of" he slowly admitted, eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, I have noticed a few things" she answered, turning toward him slightly. "He seems a lot more focused than normal, like he's trying hard not to fail."

Lok also turned toward her, though more than she'd done. "That doesn't seem wrong to me" he said faintly, then made a sound. "However, he has asked me for tips a lot, like what style he should teach in. I thought nothing of it, but now... well-"

"You realize he's unsure of himself" she finished for him, with a small sad smile.

"Yeah... I guess."

Sophie slowly glanced down. "I thought putting him in charge could help, Lok" she said faintly, looking directly at him. "You remember how hard it was for him to learn in the past, before he took a liking to your style, because you were sorta a hero to him" she continued, slightly surprising him. "Only the drive of getting his brother back kept him moving forward – but now that's been resolved, and suddenly he isn't sure of how good he is in comparison to us, or so it seems to me. I thought the theory of putting a troublemaker in a position of authority - however mild his troubles were - might help this situation."

Lok smiled a bit. "That was a good idea, Sophie" he said gently. "However, if I remember correctly, some styles simply don't work for certain people. Maybe Den just isn't that type."

"I know that" she answered. "I just hoped it would help give him confidence, and help prevent him from copying you."

A 'little' nonplussed over that last bit, Lok took a few seconds to respond. "Well, we can talk to him about all that, sometime in the next few days" he said mildly, standing up. "You know, make sure he gets the reasoning."

"Sure thing."

"And even if it isn't helping his confidence, there are other ways" he added, a little gentle. "We'll find them if need be; I know you will, especially."

Sophie smiled a little in response.

* * *

 _Next day_

The entire team had gathered again, rather grimly ready for another portal attempt, including LeBlanche and Santiago behind them. Maybe it was the image of Eathon, but Lok hadn't tried for a portal yesterday, and nobody had been surprised.

"I thought it'd take you two much longer to come around" Cherit said with worry, talking to Lok and Cathy. "You were so devastated before..."

Cathy managed a small smile, though it flickered. "We're okay now, Cherit" she said, after a moment. "I-I hope."

"That's the best we can do." Lok breathed, wringing his hands a little. "But besides that, how can we mope around too long when we have a portal to go through? Who's ready?"

"Everyone" Zhalia answered, sincere, holding onto Janusea's amulet - Den nodded, ready as well.

Lok cracked a smile. "Alright then" he said, already holding Sophie's hand. "Let's get ready."

Zhalia raised the amulet, about to call out Janusea-

-then everything went to hell.

The window was blasted inward, shards flying everywhere as they were thrown from impact. Cherit was hit by a small piece of debris, with enough force that he hit the opposite wall. Den crawled over to him, keeping himself as low to the ground as possible, before using a Boltflare to deflect a bigger piece. On the other side of the room, Zhalia and Sophie had recovered, and they stood facing the gap in the wall with Armorbrand and Honorguard. Near the middle of the room was Cathy (shielded by Lok), still cowering a bit, even as Santiago and LeBlanche did what they could. From the blasted window came the sounds of spells, along with yells and shouting.

"What just happened!?" - "Who attacked us, guys!?"

 _"Attack, Strix!"_

With a buzz, three of the mosquito-esque Titans appeared, while Zhalia quickly muttered a spell under her breath. The result was her vision turned red, literally, even as Strix flew out the window + went high up. "Blood Spirals, lots of them! Titans included!"

"How many?" Sophie asked instantly, a small cut on her cheek.

"Almost Fortress of Iron Will numbers!"

For a split-second, dread settled over them (with the exception of Cathy, who remained purely terrified).

"Damn it" Lok cursed, then he stood up, moving away from Cathy. "We gotta split up" he said quickly, moving even as the building shuttered from repeated blasts. "We'll be in teams, but do what you can so that we aren't overwhelmed! Sophie, Cherit, with me; Zhalia and Den, get their attention on the other side; and LeBlanche, Santiago, try and contact the Huntik Foundation! After that, divide and conquer their forces!"

"What about Titan's, Lok?"

"The Blood Spiral's are attacking in broad daylight with Titans, Den" he said quickly, moving closer to the window from the side, though he ducked under a Nullcurse that exploded against the ceiling. "We have no other choice. Now come on! _Hyperstride!_ "

Sophie quickly followed after him with the same spell, right down to the streets, even as Cherit hurriedly flew after them. "Come on" Zhalia urged Den, where both of them leapt to the ground, with the help of Featherdrop. Santiago had already gone, but LeBlanche lingered after he realized Cathy was still where Lok had left her: on the floor, stunned + terrified.

"This... this can't be happening" she breathed, with far-too-simple disbelief, her gaze on something far in the distance.

LeBlanche offered her a hand, which she shakily took. "Everything will be okay, Cathy" he said as gently as possible under circumstances, but firmly, even as the building shook again. "No one is expecting you to dive into this mess – even we're scared. No one will think worse of you if you hide; you remember how to get to the basement?"

Cathy made a little motion, that might have been an attempt at a nod.

With that statement, LeBlanche hurried after Santiago, pulling out an amulet as he did so before he disappeared.

Cathy stood there, panting a little, until another blast jolted her. She looked at the gap in the wall, where her brother, Sophie and Cherit had gone through, then at the other direction that Zhalia and Den went, then finally at the door where LeBlanche had just exited. Her foot twitched, and she jolted, seeing she'd nearly stepped on Springer's amulet (which seemed to have fallen out of her pocket). Still shaking, she reached down and stared at it, before glancing out again...

She started running.

/

 _"Augerfrost!"_

The soldier he aimed at dodged, but it was a near thing - at the same time, Den's gut throbbed from an earlier hit, but he tried to ignore it.

The scene was virtual chaos to the untrained eye. Somewhere behind him, Zhalia fought off three soldiers at once, while at the same time Kilthane and Gareon were out, fighting a Nighlurker and Psikofen. Psikofen had wrapped it's chains around Kilthane's shield, who strained against the pull, even as Nightlurker appeared out of the shadows directly behind him - then was blasted by Gareon, his invisibility off. Then with a great yank, Kilthane pulled Psikofen forward, before bashing it's head in.

 _"Acidheart!"_ \- _"Armorbrand!"_

He _really_ hoped Zhalia could hold off that brutal spell-

 _"Thundercut!"_

He barely managed to dodge the first two electrified punches, but the third clipped his arm, sending him back and clutching it. Luckily, other than a few twitches, his nerves didn't appear to be damaged. He saw his opponent racing to finish things, and he reacted instinctively: _"Dragonfist!"_

The spells collided; the ground directly below them cracked slightly, and it was only the magic that prevented them from breaking their hands. The soldier then tried to kick him, but he grabbed his leg in mid-attack.

While this was going on, his own Titans were battling: Cursed Archer fought off a Harlekin, blocking it's claw swipes with his bow, and attempting to make room. At the same time, Freelancer was battling both a Dark Pharoah and a Midnight Rook, but mainly focusing on the mummy, allowing the bird to keep striking his back.

During her fight, Zhalia finally managed to get her hands on one soldier's head. _"Darksleep!"_ she cried, the soldier promptly falling asleep with a lingering purple aura. However, reinforcements for the soldiers forced her to back up, glancing beside her as Den was thrown to the ground ("Gah!"). "They're no longer holding back" she said grimly, even as he got up.

"Yeah, no kidding" he grunted, holding his gut.

Even as he spoke, something caused a section of the Casterwill Townhouse to blow up; they really wanted it reduced to rubble!

"Time for our new additions to see some light" she said, pulling out another amulet, this one set with a poison-green gem. _"Strike fear, Lernaean Hydra!"_

With a low hiss, this snake Titan reared upright to it's full height, it's main head soon followed by eight others. All nine slowly dripped poison from their fangs, light glinting off brown scales, the rest of it coiled tightly. The soldiers hastily backed up at it's imposing presence, but the Titan had other concerns – he spit a poison glob at Psikofen's back, who had to divert a chain to dissolve it... which earned him a stab in the back by Kilthane, returning him to his owner. Zhalia's Titan needed a moment to catch his breath afterward, then he got up again.

"Now you're talking!" Den called, holding up his own amulet, the red gem glinting in anticipation. _"Hunt them down, Tyrannos!"_

Literally bursting out of the ground, this red-eyed Titan roared his arrival, stomping to the head of the action. His size (even larger than Lernaean Hyrdra) and massive jaws struck fear into his enemies - appropriate for a T-rex-based Titan. His thick tail damaged the side of a building behind him, then he charged forward, scattering the Silent Soldiers directly in front of him. But that wasn't all; his charge literally brought him head-first into Dark Pharoah, who was slammed into the side of another building. This allowed Freelancer to rush over to Cursed Archer, who was battling hand-to-hand with Harlekin, using his energy-sword 'arrows'.

 _"Shadowspeed!"_ \- _"Stormshield!"_ came from behind him, but Den focused: _"Raypulse!"_ he called, managing to blast one soldier, but another came straight at him with _Cutrace_. _"Camoforge!"_ he called, disappearing from sight, enough that he confused his opponent. Before the woman could find him though, another was literally thrown into her, courtesy of Zhalia and Touchram. A good thing he disappeared at that moment too; his gut still stung something fierce, and he might not have moved fast enough.

They fought on, as did their Titans: Kilthane and Gareon were forcing Nightlurker on the defensive, pushing him to disappear constantly. However, when Gareon disappeared, Nighturker launched himself at Kilthane, it's jaws biting down on the shield, which they wrestled over. Nighlurker managed to tear the shield out of Kilthane's grip, but Gareon's sudden appearance on Nightlurker's head (literally biting his ear) caused him to writhe, leaving him wide open. Lernaean Hydra struck him in the back with a poison glob, making it screech, the poison hissing _very_ strongly (with actual steam). Then he disappeared in a burst of light as Kilthane stabbed him in the chest, before slumping a bit as Gareon dropped to the ground.

Lernaean Hydra slithered over to him, rather fast for his size, then one head reached down and clamped on his arm. The grip wasn't an attack, but rather tight enough to pull Kilthane to his feet, who silently thanked him, then picked up his shield from the ground.

At the same time, Tyrannos roared as spells blasted his blackened head, driving him backward into a narrow street as at least seven Silent Soldiers surrounded him, trying in vain to block with his small arms. About five feet away, Dark Pharoah had finally been taken down, and now Cursed Archer and Freelancer were facing three Harlekin on their own - but Freelancer's moments were slow, almost from exhaustion, and Cursed Archer wasn't much better. While one Harlekin held onto Freelancer's shield (with his whole body), the spear-wielding Titan charged forward, pinning it to the wall - where it only got a chance to screech before Freelancer speared him. Cursed Archer blocked five separate claw strikes, then kicked the other two Harlekin away, quickly readying his bow... he was literally a split-second away from being attacked when he fired.

When Tyrannos's tail touched a building behind him, he put his head down and charged again, knocking two soldiers aside before he tried to stop - but his bulk was great, and his claws made long gashes in the street as they slid, before he actually managed to stop. However, the limited space slowed his already-slow turning speed as soldiers blasted his side, forcing him to back up again. He roared again, slowing their attack but not stopping it... until Cursed Archer and Freelancer managed to join in later.

Back to their Seekers, Den held one soldier and threw him with a great heave, then punched another down. He was losing stream, but they're weren't many left for them (or so he hoped; he didn't dare voice that kind of comment again, even in his mind, because it _never_ ended well). _"Augerfrost!"_ he called, blasting a soldier who tried to attack Zhalia from behind.

 _"Venomhand!"_ Zhalia cried, bashing the spell against another soldier's head (he quickly crumpled). Soon they were both standing there, panting, but so far their little area was quiet (if you didn't count the background noise). Heavy stomping and low hissing triggered their instincts, but luckily, it was only their own Titans. Only Lernaean Hydra and Tyrannos didn't move like they were exhausted, but they were still damaged, clearly.

"Well, well-"

All eight of them, Seekers and Titans alike, turned at this new voice.

Murdock merely smirked, flanked by at least ten other soldiers, and a medium variety of their choice Titans; not good. "You fight well, but time's up."

"Yeah, try us!" Den called, sounding more confident than he felt. On the inside however, he was massively disgruntled; apparently even _feeling_ counted for tempting fate nowadays, something he really had to stop doing!

Instead of answering, Murdock merely gestured, and every Blood Spiral soldier + Titan rushed in. Den, Zhalia, and all of their Titans readied for battle, then it literally became pandemonium; even if you tried to describe it, you couldn't because there was too much going on at once!

Murdock didn't just watch though; he aimed straight at Lernaean Hydra. _"Shockgrip!"_

What seemed to be waves of air raced forward, at great speed, one head of Lernaean Hydra seeing this. The snake Titan dodged quickly... but it was too late for his left-most head.

The air shock-waves _cut clean through his head_ , an inch above the base.

The snake Titan screeched in outrage and pain, enough that Zhalia staggered from the subdued sensation, the cut-off head falling to the street, where it writhed and flexed unconsciously. Even as it started dissolving, a Shadow Kulit was about to take advantage of Zhalia's pain, until he was caught in the jaws of Tyrannos. Meanwhile, Lernaean Hydra moved with surprising speed, slithering up the side of the building like it was nothing - it's expression and movements were murderous.

 _"Doublespell! Firestorm!"_

The spell blasted pieces of the building off, but Lernaean Hydra dodged both, lunging straight at Murdock.

 _"Cutrace!"_

Thanks to the spell, Murdock dodged every single lunge from all the Titan's heads, but one readied a poison glob while he was distracted. _"Stormshield!"_ he called, deflecting it, then holding out his hand. _"Formstaff!"_

Back on the ground, Den backed up, panting but also on guard; Murdock's Cerberus and Hellynx were looking at him dangerously. He knew this wasn't good, because Tyrannos was otherwise occupied, and Freelancer/Cursed Archer had been taken out in the battle (but not without some losses for the soldiers). And he knew both of these Titans had speed (plus Cerberus's armor), so he'd have to get creative. He'd have to risk another Titan, but with them watching his every move, he might not have time-

Two beams blasted the ground behind the two Titans, making them hiss and growl respectively, turning to face the new opponent (he quickly looked as well).

Solar and Lunar, with Cathy standing beneath them, her face lightly covered with soot in places, Springer at her feet - it did not escape his notice that she looked scared out of her mind. Her mouth moved several times, but no words came out... whatever this meant, Solar and Lunar apparently took this as a command. They blasted at Cerberus and Hellynx, who were forced to abandon him as a target; they didn't go without a fight though. Then there was Springer, jumping from one's head to the other, using his feet and his claws to mess up their vision while constantly moving-

He didn't have time to think; he just hoped he could end this soon, but he'd have to thank Cathy when this was over! Either way, he pulled out the first Titan that came to his hand:

 _"Petrify, Medusa!"_

With a hiss, Medusa appeared, her snake body and hair seeming to itch for blood. He noticed, but mainly he saw Solar + Lunar fighting against Cerberus, while Cathy faced against Hellynx herself, managing to throw off one of it's attacks with Armorbrand (barely, because of it's speed). He didn't see Springer anywhere, but he hoped the little guy was okay.

"Do me a favor and petrify that cat" Den called, pointing directly at it.

Medusa had other plans; her eyes were already glowing, pointing at something on his other side. The moment he realized this, he turned, and saw a flash of light where a Titan had once been. But it was far away from him, near where Zhalia had been moments ago, except she was nowhere in sight now. It hadn't been to save his butt; she'd deliberately ignored him.

And he was furious: "Do what I say!" he yelled at her.

Almost bored, Medusa looked in Hellynx's direction... however, he soon saw Hellynx in Cathy's grip, the cat trying to claw her up while Cathy strove to keep her at bay. With a stab of horror, he opened his mouth-

-he was too late. The cat started petrifying as soon as it caught sight of Medusa looking at her, much to Cathy's shock, even as it disappeared in a flash of light... and then Cathy's hands fingertips started turning to stone, because she'd been connected to the cat when this happened (just plain lucky she hadn't directly looked). She started freaking, backing up quickly even as her fingers were next. "Den, h-help me!"

"Stop it!" he yelled straight at Medusa, one hand ready. "Stop it right now!"

Medusa whirred to look at him-

-Den was prepared for that. The _moment_ she'd started twitching, his hand went inside his pocket and pulled out a thick pair of sunglasses - which he quickly put on, instinctively closing his eyes.

When a full second went by and he was still breathing, he opened them again - he could barely see, as the thing was tinted so dark, but Den did see see Medusa furious that he had protected himself from her ability. Sheer relief warred with his anger, mostly over the fact that he'd (barely) managed to avert that vision.

 _"I'm just plain lucky her Stonegaze is limited to eye contact, unlike King Basilisk..."_

Then he got right in the Titan's face. "I'm not gonna tell you again! Turn off your Stonegaze ability!" he yelled, having about had it.

Seconds passed, he managing to keep up the stare-down, even as Cathy's hands turned to stone (she was whimpering).

Medusa nearly growled... but the petrification stopped, then disappeared entirely, leaving Cathy's hands completely untouched. Cathy didn't move, but he did, holding out Medusa's amulet: "Return!"

She was greatly displeased, but had no choice in the matter.

Soon he was over by Cathy, hastily putting the sunglasses back in his pocket. "Are you okay?" he asked intently.

It took her awhile before she looked up from her hands, seemingly unable to do more. She wasn't shaking or anything, but he knew that was because the adrenaline was still going strong:

"I-" she breathed, blinking. "I don't know."

Again, he noted the fear, even if buried underneath adrenaline - she was scared out of her mind, and this little incident hadn't helped in the slightest. But right now, she was so much in shock that she didn't look shocked at all; just like back at Lok's home. "I'm so sorry, Cathy" he said quickly. "I just-"

Something crashed, very loudly.

Reminded of what was happening, he glanced back at the battle, which had thinned out considerably: Zhalia was still fighting a few soldiers, while Tyrannos was backed against a corner by a Shadow Kulit, Marauder, and Harlekin, but still managing to take their hits for now. He saw Murdock fall from above a building, land with a rolling grunt, considerably bruised up but still fighting - Lernaean Hydra (still minus one head) hissed at him murderously, moving down the side of the building. It wasn't over yet, not by a long shot.

 _"Everfight"_ he grunted, getting some of his strength back, looking back at Cathy.

"W-What should I do!?"

The terror was starting to surface... if he didn't do something quick, it would overwhelm her, and then she might actually give into it, despite her earlier bravery in helping anyway. And he wouldn't blame her if she did, but right now they could use all the help they could get! However, the moment he felt that, something else made him feel uneasy; the fact that he was responsible for this. He'd felt it before, during most of their training sessions. What was happening to him?

He shook his head, hard; _not_ the time!

"Look, Cathy, Zhalia still needs us" Den managed, deciding he'd figure it out later. "I need you, and the others do too. If you still feel like you're able to help out, to fight, now's the time."

He hated to say it, but there wasn't much choice.

She didn't respond immediately, but he did: _"Face them, Dullahan!"_

/

 _"Overslam!"_

 _"Kindlestrike!"_

Panting a bit, Lok backed up, soon finding himself back-to-back with Sophie, but they were still fighting at least a dozen Silent Soldiers. "Just like old times" he breathed.

He saw enough that Sophie's head turned, but nothing else for a reply.

Not that she would have had the space to do so: _"Bladewave!" - "Poisonfang!(x2)" - "Newfury!"_

He moved fast - " _Nimblefire!"_ \- speeding away even as the ground exploded beside him, thanks to Bladewave. He also heard _"Honorguard!"_ , so he knew Sophie was safe for now.

At the same time they were fighting, so were their Titans: as Sophie kicked away one soldier, Feyone fended off a Shadow Kulit and it's shadow swords nearby, in addition to a Midnight Rook hit-and-run at her exposed back (which she ignored when possible). However, a blur skidded to a stop beside Shadow Kulit, throwing a huge cloud of dust in it's face - he tried to back up, clear the air, but it was already too late: a pair of hooves kicked him in the face, sending him to the ground. Midnight Rook was thrown off his attack by the cloud of dust, but before he could fly away, a sword struck him in the back. Even as he disappeared in a burst of light, Shadow Kulit got it's bearings back, clearing the dust easily.

Across from him, Kelpie snorted, pawing the ground even as Feyone stepped up beside him, both of them ready.

On the other side of the battleground was similar chaos: Dendras blasted away at two Dark Pharoahs, who were using their Sandsweep ability to block the waves of fire and ice washing over them. Nearby, Raijin raced through the air at high speed, pursed by a Nightlurker - even as he diverted to the left, Nightlurker would appear in front of him suddenly, but that didn't deter Raijin.

Cherit saw this, and he wished he could help, but he had to fly hard just to keep away from another Midnight Rook; that brother of his was relentless!

He raced toward the corner of a building, hoping to turn it and even things out - but just as he got near, a misfired spell hit it, making it explode into little pieces! He had to stop in mid-air, allowing Midnight Rook to chomp on his tail ("Ah!"), further making him squirm! "Get off me!" he called, flinging himself left and right, but he had a firm grip. Because of this squirming, they fell further and further from the air before he finally got sick of this, spinning himself in a circle with all the force he could muster. Midnight Rook managed to cling for a few seconds, then his grip loosened, enough that he was flung back-first into another building.

"Sorry about this" he said, then yelled as he blasted his brother, who screeched at the impact.

Cherit had to take a few seconds to regain his bearings; boy, those blasts always took it out of him. Still, when he opened his eyes, he saw Raijin ensnared by Nightlurker, who'd managed to clamp his jaws on him - so far away, he could barely see them anymore.

That didn't stop him: "AHHH!"

It was over fifty feet away, but his aim was true, the creature screeching as the assault forced him to let go of Raijin. The elf-like Titan fell a short distance before riding away on lightning, then he turned straight at Nightlurker, his hand crackling with electricity-

Whether it was the distance, or his exacerbated weariness, Cherit was glad he didn't see the defeat of another cousin (however misguided his masters were). Leaning against the roof of a building, he tried to gather what strength he had, knowing this wasn't over by a long shot.

However, he was surprised when he saw Raijin floating over him, electricity cackling under his feet. Before he could say anything, Raijin touched a few fingers to his head, and he stiffened under the feel of energy flowing into him! When it was over, he felt rejuvenated, if very tingly - maybe not fully, but he no longer felt weary anymore. He looked up at Raijin, who was giving him silent thanks (at least to any outside observers). He was still delighted: "Thank you, brother!"

Raijin merely nodded, then he turned, looking at where Dendras on the defensive against the two Dark Pharoahs... but not for long.

Back to the Seekers, Lok caught the wrist of one soldier, twisting it (making the soldier cry out) and throwing him to the side. Then he fought against another one, who had at least had the smarts to _try_ and attack him while his back was turned, not that it helped. He blocked the dozen-or-so punches/kicks, then Lok simply pushed the soldier, right against his other comrade.

 _"Spidertouch!"_ he called.

The soldiers fought hard against the webbing, disgusted, but their efforts didn't do much.

Something struck Lok in the back, but he managed enough sense to roll over the ground, several times - when he got onto his back, a soldier was over him, hand crackling-

He reacted as quickly as possible: _"Boltflare!"_

Flung, the soldier tried to recover, before he was blasted from the sky; Cherit.

 _"Thanks buddy"_ he thanked, confirming the soldier was unconscious - meanwhile, his back stung from the blow, and he could hear steaming, but he hoped it was just his clothes. Still, Lok quickly looked around him, but no more enemies were immediately nearby, until yelling got his attention.

Sophie jumped backward, fighting head-to-head with two soldiers- wait, another was crawling around a corner of a building behind her!

He moved quickly, with pure instinct.

The soldier came up just behind her-

 _"Dragonfist!"_

The would-be backstabber went flying, head-first into the building, with enough noise that he startled the other soldiers. Sophie took advantage of this, grabbing one and quite literally flinging him toward Lok (which he was happy to oblige: _"Ropetrick!"_ ), then she turned toward the other. In the soldier's rush, his first two punches were clumsy, allowing her to slip around his back.

 _"Clatterbang!"_

The soldier yelled at the assault on his eardrums, but fell unconscious anyway - then Sophie looked at him, he having just thoroughly tied up that other soldier, who remained struggling at his bindings (mouth included).

"You've got to teach me Dragonfist sometime" she said, panting, in a bit of a sweat.

She seemed not to notice the fact that she was scratched up in places, same as he was. However, as she said that, Kelpie and Feyone (drained, but still strong enough) came to stand on either side of her.

"You're still learning Thoughtspectre" he responded, panting a little himself. Rubbing the spot on his back where he'd been struck, he smiled a little, feeling Dendras return to his side as well. "Priorities, Sophie" he continued a little playfully, enjoying the look she gave him (hey, it was part of the fun).

"You might want to add 'dying' to that list, boy."

The sheer shock on Sophie's face matched his, just stronger - after a second of being frozen, they whirled around, their Titans turning as well.

Kiel smirked, flanked by the burning forms of Balenpyre and Volcana, in addition to about a dozen Casterwill Hunters. "Now I get to burn down this home as well!"

"Why you-!

"You still can't defeat us, Kiel!" Lok yelled up, partly to get that fury off Sophie's expression - _yikes_. "We've only gotten better since last time!"

"Doesn't change things" Kiel said indifferently, than to the grunts: "Get her!"

With a rush of yells, the Casterwill Hunters fell down from the roof, Sophie at the ready. Feyone and Kelpie placed themselves protectively in front of her, but they were beset upon by Balenpyre and Volcana.

"Dendras, help them out!" Lok called, and was just rushing to do the same when Kiel landed in front of him. _"Hopeshatter!"_ the brute called, aiming behind him (without looking).

The moment the spell was cast, Kelpie had reared up against Volcana, Feyone just noticing this - then she pushed the horse aside.

"No!"

Sophie's cry was too late, as Hopeshatter hit Feyone, reducing her to a streak of light.

"You'll pay for that, Kiel" he nearly growled.

Kiel grinned, holding out another amulet (which to his shock, he didn't recognize). "Bring it, punk" he taunted, before: _"Radiate, Hyperion!"_

While humanoid in shape, this Titan was not made of flesh and blood, but rather light itself - a very bright light at that. Despite that, heavy armor covered the torso as it flexed, the rest of it flowing into something reminiscent of a ghost. The Titan hovered over the ground, arms and fingers outstretched, it's faceless head looking down at Lok.

"What the hell-?"

"There's more to fire than just heat, boy."

Lok grunted, eyes having a brief blue glow as he brought out his own amulet. "We'll see about that!" he responded. " _Bring it on, Baselaird!_ "

/

"Gah!" - "Cathy!"

Glancing behind her, Zhalia saw Den quickly run over to Cathy, then she held up her hands. _"Stormshield!"_ she called, throwing it over their group, allowing Tyrannos and Lernaean Hydra to take a few precious seconds to rest. At the same time, Solar and Lunar battled with Murdock's Midnight Rook and Psikofen a short distance away, but both sides were exhausted. Murdock himself backed up as the shield took hold, then noted Solar and Lunar about to launch another attack, and he held a hand behind him. _"Powerlock!"_

Psikofen and Midnight Rook both screeched as their bodies glowed purple, then they literally faded away, with no return light... and the purple energy flowed into Murdock.

 _"Uh oh-"_

 _"Doublespell! Fireswarm!"_

Solar and Lunar tried to dodge, but couldn't in time, and with cries both Titans returned back to Cathy (who still weak and dazed gave a pained groan). Then Murdock turned to them, and Zhalia tensed, not sure how much longer she could keep this shield up.

 _"Doublespell! Firestorm!"_

And speak of the devil-

However, just as her _Stormshield_ came undone, Tyrannos and Lernaean Hydra reacted instinctively, placing themselves in front of the blast. Tyrannos roared his pain before he vanished, Den grunting upon his return, while Lernaean Hydra hissed heavily at the onslaught. The multi-headed serpent did not return, but it collapsed upon the ground, barely moving - effectively defeated anyway. However, she quickly looked at Murdock, and was relieved to see his heavy signs of exhaustion; he wouldn't be casting too many spells like that, even with Powerlock.

"Den, how is she?" Zhalia quickly asked, never taking her eyes off Murdock.

"Weak, very weak" he said grimly. "And terrified."

"You guys - still need... help" Cathy breathed weakly, literally shaking with fear as her hand came up, very slowly. _"C-Charge... Iron... squire."_

And to their great surprise, Ironsquire did indeed come out, but Cathy slumped to the ground afterward. A quick check and look by Den showed she just was just unconscious - meanwhile, Ironsquire faltered at the loss of his Seeker bond, quickly glancing back at Cathy.

"She's fine" Zhalia told him, gesturing a little when he looked at her. "You're with us for now; your Seeker's target is him."

After a moment, Ironsquire hefted his shield, stepping up to the plate.

Murdock grunted, holding out both hands. _"Doublespell"_ he breathed with effort, but still determined. _"Formstaff_ -gah!"

Despite the energy drain, Murdock still hefted his dual staffs, and Ironsquire charged at him. The first hits rang throughout the area, but because of Powerlock, Murdock's strikes quickly forced Ironsquire on the defensive. Then Murdock blocked an eye blast from the unseen Gareon, who Zhalia felt use the last of his energy with that, but keeping himself at the ready. Behind her, Den quickly lay Cathy on the ground gently, then joined up with Zhalia. "We gotta help" he said grimly, at the ready, to which she nodded.

"Mind if I assist?"

She glanced beside her, both her and Den surprised, but exhaustion quickly muffled it. "At this point, anything would be an improvement" she merely said to LeBlanche.

"And Cathy?"

"Unconscious, weak, terrified, but she's okay" Den said quickly.

The older man nodded grimly, holding up his own amulet. "Be ready" he said, then: _"Perfect defense, Sentinel!"_

Floating above the ground, multiple blue crystals encircling him, this Titan looked extraordinarily like the Easter Island heads. With a flourish, this Titan flew over to the battle, where Murdock had just managed to create an opening with Ironsquire - however, his staff bounced off an energy shield, which quickly faded and allowed Ironsquire to counterattack.

"Now!" Zhalia called, already moving-

 _"Kindlestrike!" - "Augerfrost!"_

Murdock tried to defend, but the impact still sent him reeling, rolling across the pavement. And when he looked up, two hands had gripped his temples-

 _"Darksleep!"_

 _"Mindvoid!"_

The spell, called out by Murdock in instinct, quickly caused Zhalia pain- wait, the spell itself wasn't causing the pain, it was her energy being drained! Somehow, his spell was blocking Darksleep, but it was still struggling to put the target to sleep, thus draining her!

"Den! Break his concentration!" Zhalia yelled.

 _"Boltflare!_ Ah!"

Despite his low energy level, Den had came through - and when the spell struck Murdock, it disrupted his control over the spell, and it faded away. Murdock tried to fight it with a grunt, and he did partly succeed, not going under immediately... but in the end, he was put asleep.

Panting heavily, she leaned back, just sitting against the pavement... then she saw his mark began to glow, even through his clothes. Murdock had not spoken, or even appeared to be responsible for this, but before her eyes, he was enveloped by the red glow of the Blood Spirals.

When it cleared, he was gone.

"...Great" she spoke, too exhausted for sarcasm.

Not too long after that, Den slowly stepped beside her, while LeBlanche bent down beside Cathy a distance away. Den didn't say anything, until he noticed something to their right: "...are those Sophie and Lok?"

She glanced over, at the muted spells and further explosions in said direction, mostly only visible by flashes of light over the buildings. "...no, they're in the other direction" she eventually said, sighing faintly. "Those are probably the other Venice Huntik agents, fighting their own battles in the city against the Spirals. We should help, if we can."

Den just slumped; she didn't blame him.

"LeBlanche" she spoke, barely any louder, struggling up (Den helped when this registered). "Get Cathy to Dante's old house-"

"Understood."

"-and Den, can you still fight?"

Wearily, he reached into his pack, pulling out Kaioh and Vigilante. "I think I can summon one more Titan, but then I'll be drained" he said, sweating. "I'd hate to think what would happen if I tried both."

"Well, one's better than nothing" she agreed faintly, slowly feeling Gareon brush against her leg, becoming seen again - he was completely drained in energy, but he still wanted to help. Gauging her own energy levels, she pulled out an amulet of her own: _"Come, Hoplite!"_

/

 _"Poisonfang!"_

 _"Honorguard!"_ Sophie called, blocking the spell. Immediately after it ended, the one who cast that spell came after her, but she was ready - a bead of sweat inconveniently rolled into her eye at a crucial moment, earning her a hit, but she wiped it away and hit him back.

In the street behind her, hers and Lok's Titans were fighting Kiel's, in addition to what remained of the dozen Casterwill Hunters. Volcana and Raijin both flew through the air, throwing fire and electricity at each other, respectively, raining debris as they went. Raijin spun around a corner, and Volcana raced to catch up, but the moment she crossed the threshold, she was blindsided by Raijin and sent through a glass window. On another section, Dendras blasted at Balenpyre with fire and ice, but Balenpyre leapt through it and bore them both to the ground. The impact shook the street, and Dendras rolled away to avoid the next punch, but he was separated from his fire dragon puppet - he noted this, and hefted the ice one nonetheless. He threw it at Balenpyre, the dragon _just_ clamping on it's arm, and the Titan struggled at the diminished control Dendras was trying to assert over him.

On yet another part, Kelpie was struggling, one Casterwill Hunter having knocked him onto his side and holding him down, even as the other called out _"Abyssalfall!"_. The horse struggled as the miniature black hole formed, still being held - however, Kelpie succeeded in throwing the soldier off-balance, allowing him to stand. The one casting the spell moved to stop him, but Kelpie grabbed the other one's clothes in his teeth, and with a great heave threw them both away. Finally, with a struggle, Kelpie escaped the black hole, just as the Casterwill Hunters got back on their feet.

Kelpie charged, and they readied themselves-

-but they were surprised when Kelpie vanished in a blur. Then he reappeared feet ahead, still charging, disappeared again like a mirage and reappeared yet again, coming straight at them.

They tried to blast him, but at the end of this mirage blitz, Kelpie had appeared behind them. Then he turned and kicked them, sending them both face-first into a building, where they crumpled unconscious.

Kelpie regarded this, then quickly verified where the other Titans were, seeing his Seeker holding her own. He heard Raijin and Volcana battling by hearing alone, ears flicking to show this, and saw Dendras struggling in an ice-vs-fire showdown with Balenpyre. He snorted heavily, but pawed the ground-

 _"Kindlestrike!"_

 _"Cutrace!"_

 _"Gah!"_ Sophie thought; these last two almost seemed to be reading her mind! Still, she got ready to defend herself when the furthest-back Casterwill Hunter raised her hand-

"Raaaaa!"

Cherit literally threw himself at the woman, hitting hard enough that she staggered forward, even as her companion turned. "Why you- _Nullcurse!_ " he called.

 _"Lightcoat!"_ she called out, protecting Cherit from the attack, then she quickly ran up + kicked his legs out from under him. "Cherit, she's all yours!" she said before looking down, wanting to make sure this one would be out for awhile.

"You got it!" he called out cheerfully, then ducking underneath the woman's attempts to grab him. "AHHH!"

The woman was sent to the ground, slowly clutching at her stomach as she twitched.

"Oh my" he breathed, almost too weak to fly anymore. "I need to rest- but I set a new record. That's good too..."

Cherit fell to the ground, curling a bit, before he was gently picked up. Above him, Sophie smiled gently. "You did very well, Cherit" she said gently, before her brow furrowed with worry. "Can you still fly?"

"It won't be very pleasant... but I think so" he said, weary.

"Then do so, please" she said earnestly. "Find yourself a place to rest, away from this fight."

He wearily tried to fly, almost fell several times, but eventually managed it. "Will do" he said, exhausted, but still managing to make it sound bright.

She watched him go for a little, then quickly ran forward, aiming toward the street where the Titans were fighting. She had to end things as soon as possible, and muster all the force they could to face Kiel - because Lok was still facing him alone, as far as she knew. She had faith in his abilities, but a little help would no doubt be appreciated. But the moment she arrived, two bursts of light returned over her head, which she briefly looked after, worried. It only increased when she found Raijin and Kelpie facing off against Volcana, the former exhausted.

 _"At least it's even"_ she thought, in the heat of the moment.

At the same time, Volcana aimed at Kelpie, but Raijin defended with some sort of electricity shield.

The moment it ended, she saw her chance: _"Boltflare!"_

Volcana was blasted backward, sent to the ground, but looked up as a shadow covered it. It had just enough time to react before Kelpie's hooves came crashing down.

The fire Titan returned as well, and both Titans slumped heavily, slowly becoming aware of her presence. She stepped closer, holding up Kelpie's amulet. "You've done so much for me" she said gently, meaning it. "Rest now."

Gratefully, Kelpie took this as a command, returning through the amulet. However, Raijin slowly rose to his feet, exhausted but still determined - and she nodded grimly.

"Come on; we gotta help out Lok."

/

"Again, _really_ glad you could help out, Santiago!"

"If it means taking out the brute who burned down Sophie's home, then I'm glad to be here!"

"Hahahaha" Kiel laughed, hefting his fists. "Good luck, peasant!"

Kiel came in charging in, but Santiago carefully dodged every one of his strikes - at the end of the last one, he back-flipped and landed expertly. _"Shadowpoint!"_ he called, throwing a magical shuriken, which Kiel blocked with Armorburn. _"Raypulse!"_ came from Lok, trying to break through it.

Behind them, their Titans were also fighting.

Baselaird was behind his shield, fending off a stream of (physical) light from Hyperion, and grunting from the effort. However, Baselaird carefully angled his shield, reflecting the light and blasting the area directly beside Hyperion, forcing him to cover himself from debris - after that, he quickly found Baselaird nearly on him. At the same time, Santiago's Shinobi and Kunoichi were battling with Kiel's Ignatius, who was repeatedly trying to blast them. However, both ninjas were too fast for this, and while Kunoichi drew his attention, Shinobi briefly disappeared in the shadows... only to reappear behind Ignatius. The fire Titan recoiled from the stab, but quickly recovered to grab Shinobi, who vanished just before contact.

"Lok!"

"Sophie!" he called over, relieved not just to see her, but that Raijin had come with her; they could certainly use all the help they could get! Beside him, Santiago was also relieved, if briefly worried over her wounds.

"I hope I'm not late" she breathed, running up beside them, quickly at the ready position. Walking/floating beside her, Sabriel hefted her dual scimitars, while Sorcerel had her hands ready for magic.

"Hardly."

Kiel grunted. "Those Casterwill Hunters are useless!" he called out, pulling out another amulet; they tensed. _"Burn every-"_

 _"Touchram!"_

 _"Boltflare!"_

 _"Augerfrost!"_

In his shock, Kiel didn't have time to try and finish, and the triple stun-attack threw him through a window, where he disappeared out of sight with a loud crash. The three of them wearily took a moment to rest; even a little could help.

"If our luck was perfect, he'd be out cold" Lok said, weary, not believing his own words.

Sophie sighed, though with what he wasn't sure. "Since when was our luck ever perfect?" she asked, but not really expecting an answer.

Beside them, Santiago held up his amulet, the light of Kunoichi returning to it - but it remained unclear if she'd been defeated, or simply recalled. "I'm gonna help take down Ignatius, so we won't be fighting on two fronts" he said carefully. "But I will remain nearby, so guard yourself well, my lady."

The weariness softened. "Always, my friend" she said to him, to which he nodded and quickly ran off.

"And I got your back" Lok added lightly, holding up his arms, crying out _"Bladecall!"_ and gripping the Willblade, even as the weary Raijin prepared himself. Sophie nodded, at the ready, as were her sister Titans. And they only had to wait for a sec before-

What remained of the building structure exploded in front of them, the shock-wave whipping at their hair/bodies, and the smoke made it difficult to see (or breathe). Still, they didn't need to clear it away; the intense heat quickly dispersed the air - either way, not good.

But when they could finally see, they gasped.

Efreet King hovered above the ground, his entire lower body a spinning tornado of flames, which extended to most of his face. The rest of his body was solid, muscular, but armored - however, he had changed. Where before the armor had been black, it was now golden with black lining, and the wrist cuffs were now entirely golden. But that couldn't be-

With some measure of fear and dread, the reality sunk in: "No way!"

"He Powerbonded with Efreet King!? He could take out Mythras even before this!"

By some instinct, Lok held up the Willblade, ready to fight as always, but he couldn't see how he was gonna defeat that thing right now-

A yell came from inside the building, sorta weak from effort, but unmistakably a command. Efreet King followed up, rearing his head back, and unmistakably aimed at _him-_

 _"Triple Truth Shield!"_

In a blur of motion, Sabriel and Sorcerel were in front of him, their energies combining to form that oddly-triangle-shaped shielding, their lattice structures constantly moving. Both shields instantly meshed together, Efreet King's fire breath colliding directly with it-

First thing Lok felt was the shock-wave, and he couldn't make sense of anything! But he did feel that the shield held, somehow! He quickly looked up, seeing Sabriel and Sorcerel looking considerably drained- okay, make that _barely_ held. Knowing they couldn't take too many like that, Lok hefted the Willblade; _"Overslam!"_ he called out, swinging like he would a real sword, sending _Overslam_ through the air like another shock-wave.

Efreet King swiped through his Overslam, but Sabriel took the opportunity to stab him in the side AND Sorcerel blasted him in the head point-blank. Both efforts clearly hurt him, but he recovered quickly, forcing them to back off. In the meantime, he saw Kiel walking out of the building with effort (small amounts of blood trailed from wounds), snarling a bit. In the insane hope that attacking Kiel would draw attention from Efreet King, and thus give them a _little_ more time, he did the stupid heroic thing and charged at him, yelling. _"Dragonfist!"_

Despite his weariness, Kiel wasn't that easy. _"Cutrace!"_

Thanks to the red aura, Kiel dodged his attack, and the next few kicks. He quickly dodged under Kiel's two punches, back-flipping behind the kick, and Kiel moved to get closer- or he would have, if Raijin hadn't appeared behind him suddenly, and twisted his arms behind his back. _"Bristlevine!"_ he called, hoping to entangle his mouth before-

 _"Armorburn!"_ Kiel called _just_ before that actually happened, causing the vines to burn and Raijin to jump back, his hands/body steaming. Damn it! At the same time, he heard "Kindlestrike!", but just as Lok raced in for the next attack, Kiel had better reflexes than he thought in this state: _"Magicbind!"_

In his shock, Lok was blasted backward a short distance, landing on his back - and when he looked at himself, some strangle dark-purple energy covered him thinly, before it vanished. He didn't feel any different, or hurt beyond the expected, so he quickly got up to his feet, seeing Raijin ride up on an electricity cloud to avoid an attack... and Kiel's back wide open as he turned to face Raijin.

 _"Hyperstride"_ Lok breathed, getting ready to-

Nothing happened - Kiel tried to get Raijin with Rippleburst, but the Titan barely got out of the way.

In a panic, Lok tried it again, and a lot of other different spells ( _"Augerfrost! Darkfog! Stoneglove!"_ ) - absolutely _none_ of them worked! Didn't cackle or fizzle or anything!

"Lok! A little help would really be appreciated!"

In his shock, somehow seeing Sophie/Sabriel/Sorcerel barely keeping themselves together against Efreet King, along with Kiel about to cave his skull in (he dodged), Lok was quite panicked. "I can't!" he yelled, ducking under a punch and three other attacks. "Kiel did something! None of my powers work!"

"What!?"

Kiel laughed, Lok still blocking/dodging everything, but not without effort. "Surprised you, didn't I" he taunted. "You should have seen the look on your face, boy!" Immediately after that, Kiel finally connected a blow to his leg, suddenly Lok to the ground. He quickly rolled over, avoiding Kiel's foot, but the effort pained his leg immensely and he clutched at it. Above him, Kiel prepared to finish things, grunting: "I never liked kids anyway."

 _"Shadowpoint!"_

Kiel barely had time to look up, just enough to see a shuriken coming straight at him...

Through sheer luck, or maybe just good aim, the flat part hit his head dead-on - and the impact threw him back, clutching at his forehead. Behind him, Raijin gripped Kiel full-on, then slammed him into the ruined building again... and his head hit, hard.

Lok only saw all that after the fact, but still, despite the pain in his leg, he forced himself to stand up - the effort nearly caused him to fall again. If he didn't put effort on it in certain ways, he was okay; well, better than nothing!

 _"Acupoint."_

An energy enveloped his leg, followed by a really warm sensation, and then the pain started going away - not all of it, but enough.

 _"I owe you, Santiago"_ Lok thought faintly, too hazy to ask what he'd done exactly. In his first few seconds, everything was fuzzy, and he thought he saw a light pass overhead... sure hoped that was Ignatius, as they had enough to deal with. He forced himself away from that, surveying the battle; Sophie blasted away at Efreet King with Kindlestrike, and hit his back, but did little damage that he could see. At the same time, Sabriel and Sorcerel were dodging and counterattacking, but their movements were slowing down - they couldn't afford to take a hit, not from this Titan.

His mind flashed back, and he saw Phoenix battling with Efreet King, way back in the Strait...

Wait, that was it!

Just as Lok had this revelation, Efreet King turned into a literal fire tornado - Sophie and Sabriel barely got under Truth Shield, but it was too late for Sorcerel, who was caught in the vortex. All that came out was her amulet's light, who returned to the pained Sophie- wait, Efreet King was aiming at him now, already reared back! Without Hyperstride, he couldn't get away in time-

Just as Efreet King breathed fire, Raijin jumped in front, even as Santiago grabbed him and threw them both away - but despite the roaring anguish, his very being ripped apart in small pieces, Raijin did not return. And more than that, his amulet came out on it's own; it was cracked.

Horror hit Lok hard, and in pure instinct he grabbed the amulet, barely aware that he was crawling. "Raijin, come back!" he yelled out in pure desperation.

He heard and felt the intense heat wave of Efreet King's attack very near them... but a light returned to the amulet, making him gasp at the drain. Even as he looked at the amulet, the cracks started vanishing slowly, very slowly, _"Oh dear god, thank you!"_

But now he was _mad_.

"Santiago, get Sophie to safety!" he yelled out, standing up despite a hitch, clutching the Willblade in his hands. "Sabriel, I'll need you to keep that thing off me for one sec!" he yelled, knowing full well this Titan would attack him if it got the chance. Maybe Sabriel wasn't his Titan, but this was an emergency!

"Lok, what are you-Gah!?

All she had time to say before Santiago pulled her along, quite literally - after Sabriel saw Sophie out of range, she did what was asked. Despite not being his Titan, he caught a glimpse of the Titan's thoughts, or more. Efreet King moved in, and Sabriel charged straight at him - just then, he pulled out an amulet out of the Willblade, hoping to everything out there that this would work despite Kiel's spell!

 _"Awaken-"_

Efreet King moved to punch Sabriel, and she barely dodged it, stabbing him in the side-

 _"-Legendary Titan of Champions-"_

-Sabriel tried for Truth Shield, but he crushed her against the side of the building, where her light returned to Sophie. Then the Titan turned toward him-

 _"-Pendragon!"_

Efreet King stopped, seeing the Legendary Titan burst into existence above him- no, scratch that; _coming directly at him_ at high speed! The dragon roared, raising both fists raised over it's head. Efreet King blocked it, but the impact shook the street, shattering glass windows and sending Lok sprawling from the shock-wave, rolling over and over until he finally stopped. In the process, his head hit something and started bleeding, leaving small trails from where he'd rolled. At about the same time, the lights of Baselaird and Hyperion finally returned to their owners.

But they remained unconscious.

/

The impact reached them from a hundred feet away, and they staggered on the street. "I've got to go and help him!" Sophie cried out, with an irrational surge of panic; something had happened to Lok, she could feel it!

"Sophie, I can't let you-"

 _"I've got to!"_

With a great yank, she pulled out of his grip, and expertly avoided his attempts to grab her again. _"Hyperstride!"_ she called, racing back the way she came.

Behind her, Santiago panted, but he aimed in her direction: _"Transenergy"_ he breathed, groaning as blue energy gathered together in front of him, then raced toward her at high speed - he fell to the ground, breathing "Be safe" before he blacked out.

She was still racing toward Lok's location, when suddenly a rush of energy went through her system, making her stronger and able to use more powers- good, she'd need it. But when she got to the site of battle, she skidded to a halt.

Above her, Efreet King pounded at Pendragon's head, but the winged dragon tail-slapped him away - only for the two Titans to collide in mid-air again, each blow sending shock-waves through the air. Efreet King's next blow just barely missed, skidding past Pendragon's head, who then bit the fiery Titan's arm, both glaring daggers at each other. They looked fairly even, even as Sophie quickly looked around, hoping to find-

"Lok, no!" she yelled-

-she fell to her knees beside him, not even remembering when she moved. Holding him up, her fingers slipping slightly around the blood dripping from a shallow wound, but she ignored that. Breathing heavily, she quickly checked his neck with two fingers- yes, a pulse! She sobbed a little with relief, then wiped them away, placing herself protectively in front of him.

She quickly analyzed the battle itself, hoping to find a weakness, every blow whipping at her hair. Without their Seekers, Pendragon and Efreet King were resorting purely to physical blows, with sporadic other attacks - still, they were evenly matched! She thought about trying to summon Phoenix, but she was worried; Phoenix had been exhausted by a battle with regular Efreet King, so she might not be able to inflict much damage on the Powerbonded version before she had to return! And with her energy low, she might not have enough to summon her - there was no room for error, so she had to end this another way. If only she had mastered Thoughtspectre, she might be to distract the fiery Titan...

Efreet King landed a blow, sending the dragon reeling, then he raised his fist-

-she reacted instinctively: _"Sunlock!"_

The orange energy shot from her hand, arching and wrapping around the Titan's wrist tenaciously, resisting his attempt to cave in the dragon's head - she grunted, the effort dragging her shoes across the street. Her first thought was _how_ did she use this spell on her first try, and so well... but it would have to wait!

Efreet King had enough strength of mind to launch a fireball straight at her...

Before it even got a quarter of the way, an energy from her pouch erupted, which she soon recognized as- Templar's amulet!? With a rush, it placed itself in front of her... and the fireball then collided with a green energy shield! Just behind it, a ghostly image of Templar appeared, forcing it back with his energy blades. The fireball exploded, whipping her hair + causing her to lose sight of Efreet King, and undoubtedly his sight of her- she might never have a better chance.

"Pendragon!" she called, struggling to maintain her hold; any more of this might tear her arm out of it's socket. "Use your Energy Sword Breath!"

It was ridiculous; Pendragon wasn't even her Titan. But she had nothing to lose here!

The dragon still obeyed with no hesitation; with a roar, Pendragon rained energy swords from his mouth, at point-blank range, hundreds of them in succession. Most shattered against Efreet King's armor or faded into the fire, but the impacts still overwhelmed him, straining even more against her Sunlock. And little-by-little, the impacts drove Efreet King to the ground through the smoke, but in the process, the Titan ripped his arm out of Sunlock. Even as she staggered forward from the release of tension, Pendragon flew straight at Efreet King, and both hit the side of a building. When she gathered her wits again, she saw the Titans had taken to the air again, and Efreet King was about to punch the dragon in the head.

By pure instinct, she reached out to Pendragon mentally-

Their thoughts joined together; Pendragon saw what she saw, if for a moment.

-Pendragon grabbed that punch with both claws.

On the ground, Sophie gasped; that was exactly what she felt he should do!

Pendragon slammed Efreet King into the nearest building beside them, then dove quickly, dragging the fiery Titan with him. Feet from the ground, Pendragon threw the fiery Titan with all his might, winging off at the same time. This impact put the others to shame, actually knocking her off her feet - and left a crater in the street, at that. Still, Efreet King remained conscious, shaking from the force and trying to rise... however, he soon found himself under Pendragon's foot, the dragon growling down at him. Still in surprise at what just happened, Sophie nonetheless shook it off, hating what she had to do... but this Titan could not remain.

"Pendragon" she called, "finish him!"

The dragon roared, his wings beginning to glow red - then, each of his wing's seven fragments _detached themselves_ from the base! They fell for a split-second, before telekinetically rising above the dragon, every single one spinning until all fourteen were aimed at Efreet King. They hovered above the Titan, points-first, one gleaming slightly in the light-

Despite the shock of what she was seeing, the upcoming horror forced Sophie to look away-

-Efreet King roared in pain, before a flash of light on her eyelids slowly (cautiously) made her eyes open. Pendragon stood on the crater, panting heavily as it fell to one knee, and Efreet King had just returned to Kiel, who stirred in his unconsciousness.

Silence reigned over the area... the only sounds were that of panting, and the brief re-connection snap of Pendragon's wings.

"It's-" she breathed, suddenly weak, falling to her knees and clutching at Lok's form - but she found she didn't have the energy to finish her thought.

Pendragon glanced at her, but did nothing.

Initially unnoticed by either of them, Kiel disappeared in a red energy cloud...

* * *

 _Dante's house_

 _Half-an-hour later_

"Come on Den, help me get her on the couch."

"Got it" he breathed faintly, picking Cathy up by the back while Zhalia grabbed her feet, and the two of them lay the woman on the couch. Even that effort took it out of them, but they managed, somehow. In the far corner, Cherit had fallen unconscious on the trip over here, and was resting on a chair pillow.

Near him, LeBlanche's question was hesitant: "Would anyone like something to eat?"

Den slowly sat down, groaning. "Not really in the mood" he breathed, without thinking - however, after a moment, he mentally felt something move in his back pocket as he shifted. Many small somethings-

Ah man... his sunglasses...

"Yeah" Zhalia agreed faintly, but she still looked over at LeBlanche. "But... we could use some, for the energy if nothing else."

The older man slowly nodded, and was about to disappear into the kitchen when they heard footsteps. all three pausing - they sounded normal, but the ground shook slightly. They were (wearily) ready for this, and they tensed when the door opened-

"Sophie?"

She didn't hear him, too focused on behind her. "That's it; put him down, gently" she said to what Den recognized as Pendragon... or rather, his leg, as that was most of what he could see in the doorway. However, the dragon obliged, slowly lowering down- "Lok!"

"Oh dear" LeBlanche breathed, quickly hurrying over, helping Sophie support him. Luckily, they all saw Lok was breathing, so he wasn't too bad - still, they helped prop him in a chair. Sophie in particular made sure his head was resting comfortably, fingers lingering over his forehead + hair for a few moments... then she backed off slightly. "Is everyone okay?" Sophie asked, looking around the room. "And where's Santiago?"

"He's upstairs, resting, just like Cherit" Zhalia answered, quiet, moreso than usual. "As for us, we're exhausted, scratched and bruised - but yeah, we're fine. Thankfully, even as the battle went on, other Seekers in Venice came in to help; they drew off some of the Blood Soldiers on the perimeter of the attack. We were too close + busy to see much of them, but I'm not complaining."

Even as she said this, Pendragon shifted outside, not quite sure what to do with himself. After all, he couldn't quite return himself with his Seeker unconscious...

"And Cathy?" Sophie asked, really worried as she laid eyes on her.

"Physically, she's just tired" Den said, subdued. "But otherwise, I think this just emotionally scarred her for life" he continued, having seen the look in her eyes... "I fear she'll never be the same afterward."

A hand touched his shoulder, and he glanced up. "If she's anything like her brother, Den, she'll be okay" Zhalia said, but sighed. "But... I can't deny the scarring angle; this was her first real experience with serious combat" she continued, arms crossed, just weary. "Fighting in mock battles and practice is one thing, but this? It's much more intense, Sophie... as if she'd jumped straight from level one to ten."

Den slowly looked at Cathy, who remained unconscious, her fear heavy on his mind... but also the fact that despite that, she'd chosen to jump into the fray. "Do you think she'll still want to come with us?" he asked, dreading the answer.

No one said anything.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **'Things just got real' doesn't sum this properly... at all**

 **But really, things have been steadily getting serious, and it all led to this mid-season climax - a scale of battle of which is rarely seen in Huntik. Included in which are the gradual addition of darker elements: directly cutting off a Titan's head (even if it's one of many); a full-scale army attacks a populated city in broad daylight (a big step up from an isolated castle), and even the simple yet effective attacking-an-opponent-while-he's-calling-out-his-attacks... well, summons in this case. So the stakes are higher, even if the main plan isn't revealed yet.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	14. The Spirit World

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **At the Fortress of Iron Will, Lucas's request to help his sister Sophie was denied, and now he'll take matters into his own hands. For the Huntik team, it was just another ordinary day, until their next attempt at a portal was interrupted by a vicious Blood Spiral attack, led by Kiel in broad daylight. Forced into fighting, every member of the team fought off overwhelming odds. The battle was ultimately won, but the damage may not heal so easily, particularly for the inexperienced Cathy Lambert...**

* * *

 _"The Spirit World"_

 _Episode 66_

* * *

 _Huntik Foundation, HQ_

 _New York City_

 _Hours after the attack_

"Everyone calm down!"

The line cut into the multiple arguments, slowly bringing the room back to silence. In front of the podium, Metz made sure the Council was quiet before he continued: "Listen, the attack on the Casterwill Townhouse is a serious matter; that is not in question. But we cannot fight among ourselves, as the Blood Spirals would only gain from that."

"But it has become obvious the Blood Spirals have become emboldened" Teien said. "Not only did they attack the home of Sophie Casterwill, they attacked a major city, in broad daylight with a virtual army."

"And I don't think it was a coincidence that they attacked _my city_ , shortly before the team was about to create a Huntik portal" Uffizi added grimly. "Something about this doesn't seem right."

"Thank you" Metz answered, looking across the members assembled, before settling on Dante. "Dante, do you have something to add?" Metz said, in a sterner tone, as was required.

Everyone looked at him, knowing/suspecting full well how knowledge of their to-remain-secret-for-now spell had gotten in their top team's ranks.

For Dante's part, he didn't try to pretend anything. "I don't deny I'm guilty" he started, standing. "However, I have my reasons for giving the spell to our best team early, concerning the Blood Spirals. Their brazen attack only confirms my suspicions-

However, before he could continue, the doors behind them opened - admitting Lucas, flanked by Lane and Dellix, with Viviane + her two bodyguards slightly behind them. And for the record, Lucas was practically seething under the surface.

"Your report, Lucas?" Metz asked, though a glance at Dante made clear his situation wasn't forgotten.

Lucas didn't answer, drawing looks from the other three, but Viviane stepped up for him. "If there are no objections, our answer is yes." she said, a little hesitantly at first, but she got stronger as she looked at him. "We'd like to join you, Dante, in establishing that beachhead."

Well, that was going to have interesting implications on Lucas' status as the head of a Casterwill family...

"That will be dangerous" Guggenheim added. "We don't have any intel on the Spirit World, but if everyone agrees-"

Everyone didn't agree, at least right off the bat; there were still questions about if the Casterwill family could really sanction this (or if they 'were' sanctioning it, and this wasn't just the work of the four teenagers), as well as logistics, arrangements for their protection, etc. Not to mention the still-lingering issue of how the Blood Spirals had launched such a massive attack, and the numerous efforts involved in repairing the damage/modifying civilian memories. The latter in particular was brought up time and time again; this wasn't something they could write off as simple damage. People would have seen Titans + magic flying all over the place, and the damage was widespread... the only thing they could do to cover this up was to make it a 'normal' terrorist bombing attack.

No good options either way...

While this went on, Dante discreetly got up from his chair, walking over to Lucas and his group.

"Is Sophie alright?" Lucas asked through clenched teeth.

"The team" he answered grimly, his thoughts on Zhalia. "is exhausted and shaken up, but no one has been seriously injured, thank god."

"Still, how could the Blood Spirals have known they were creating a portal?" Dellix asked, disgruntled.

"There might be a leak" Lane said carefully to him, aware of it's implications.

"My instincts say as much, but also that it's not an intentional one" Dante answered. "But either way, we need more information before we start pointing fingers, _especially_ at a time like this."

* * *

 _Dante's house_

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Around the same time_

"Gaguh..."

Above him, Sophie made a sound as she adjusted his ice pack, both of them hoping it'd reduce his massive headache (apparently he'd hit his head when he lost consciousness; that would explain the cut). On the chair next to them, Den helped bandage up Cherit's left arm, between the elbow and shoulder, even though it didn't exactly bleed. Apparently it'd been badly opened up on the trip to Dante's house, but luckily it didn't affect his ability to fly. Standing just away from them on the other side, Zhalia held a steaming mug of coffee in her hands, quiet. And on the opposite couch, the still-unconscious Cathy lay. Everyone present was still not at peak condition, but clothes had been changed (except on Cathy obviously), and wounds were being carefully treated.

Lok winced as his headache briefly throbbed worse, then he looked at Sophie. "How bad was it?" he rasped, vaguely noticing a half-healed cut on her cheek.

"If you mean the team, Lok, we're fine, physically at least" she said, pressing the pack to his forehead. "Cathy's still out, but she should wake up at any time."

Hearing this, he struggled to get up, grunting a bit as this stimulated his headache - other than that though, he managed to sit up (though he slightly annoyed Sophie on the ice pack adjustment). "Cath" he breathed, worried about her, before this sunk in. "Don't tell me she fought out there!"

Footsteps beside him, then he glanced up. "Of her own free will, Lok, despite being terrified" Zhalia said faintly. "That sister of yours has a lot of strength."

Lok hung his head, the ice pack falling with a thump. Ignoring Sophie's irritation, he sighed, "I'd hoped we'd have more time" he said dejectedly. "She's had experience battling with Titans in 'serious' battles, but this was as big a jump as any! As if we'd thrown her into the fray, which I promised we wouldn't do!"

"I agree" Cherit said sadly. "That was a big jump; she shouldn't have had to fight such a battle for awhile, if at all!"

"We all fought, because we had no other choice" Den said grimly, still working on those bandages. "Cathy could have run, yet didn't-"

"And for that, she's got far more strength of character than we realized" Sophie said, rather subdued, touching her fingertips to his own (he moved his own in response). "But we can't ask any more of her-"

"Mmha-"

The room instantly turned, seeing Cathy stir- then literally snap up with a gasp, as if from a nightmare.

Well, that wasn't too far off, really...

"What!?" Cathy exclaimed, sorta panicked, looking/moving around. "What? Wha-? ...what?"

"Cath" Lok breathed, sorta weak.

There was a moment where she simply looked at them, breathing hard and wide-eyed, but she didn't speak. However, Zhalia slowly approached her, which Cathy eventually noticed... without a word, Zhalia offered her mug, Cathy slowly looked between it and her. And slowly, very slowly, his sister did take it, taking a shaky sip (and a sound at the heat). Even as she continued to recover, still not saying a word, Zhalia sat down near Cathy. No one dared to speak just yet.

"That-" Cathy rasped, "-that a-actually happened?"

Cherit's ears fell a bit. "Unfortunately, yes" he said, worried, even as Den glanced down. "But we had no idea that was going to happen, Cathy!"

Whether that comment had any effect wasn't clear; Cathy just continued to breathe heavily, staring at the mug of coffee in her hands as the rest of them waited.

"Is the... i-is the plan still the same?"

"Yes, it is" Zhalia said faintly. "We'll disappear for awhile."

"Into the Spirit World" Sophie added gently. "To find your father."

Cathy slowly blinked, while her gaze remained on the mug. "And... there'll be more?"

Somehow, no one misunderstood; he certainly didn't at least. "We wish it would be otherwise, Cath" Lok said wearily. "We do our best to avoid them, the big ones especially, but..."

Utter silence.

Cathy slowly stood up, placing the mug on the table-

"Cath-" Lok begged.

-she continued walking slowly, as if she hadn't heard him, continuing until well out of sight and probably hearing.

Cherit slumped against the table he was on. "We've lost her" he said, as dejected as they'd ever heard from him.

"I don't think so, Cherit."

The comment subtly drew the attention of the room. "Why, Den?" Lok asked, almost feeling hope, though with interference.

"For the second time in as many weeks, she's been overwhelmed" Den continued, rather grim. "And thanks to this new bombshell, she needs time to think, to scream in an empty room... whatever she needs. That's as far as we have any control over it."

Again the oppressive silence... Lok was beginning to hate it, and not just because of this headache.

* * *

 _That night_

Laying on the floor, bundled up with a pillow and a blanket, Sophie couldn't sleep. She slowly sighed, just laying there, hearing the breathing sounds of Den and Cherit (couch), and Lok (other couch, directly beside where she was laying). Only Zhalia was missing in the chair, but presumably she was getting a late-night drink.

No one had any heart to sleep alone, after what happened... if only they could find Cathy though...

You might be wondering how she'd ended up on the floor - well, Lok had tried to say he should sleep on the floor, and spare her the discomfort. And she'd appreciated it, really, but she'd lost the deciding game fair and square and insisted, much as the loss had irritated her. That, and the remaining upstairs beds were taken by Santiago and LeBlanche; she couldn't ask them to give those up, as Santiago was still recovering, and LeBlanche (while fit) wasn't as young as he used to be. So that was the arrangement, and how they were gonna sleep tonight, to prepare for tomorrow's attempt - Lok hadn't given in easily though, as she'd expected.

Sophie turned on her side, trying to force sleep to come to her.

But it wouldn't; all she could see in her mind was the ruined state of her home. It all seemed burned into her mind, the amount of damage in each room, including the monitor in the briefing room.

Unbidden, flames began to appear out of nowhere-

"No!" she breathed weakly, fists clenched in the fabric, pushing the image away.

She couldn't lose another home, she just couldn't!

Tears streaked down her face as she shook... because of this, she missed how Lok stirred above her.

"Sophie?"

She gasped a little, but otherwise didn't move.

A few sounds of rustling/groping around, then his hand touched her shoulder from above, making her jerk a bit. "Sophie?" Lok breathed, really worried.

"I'm scared, Lok" she rasped, weak.

A moment passed, then Lok practically threw the covers off him, making her half-turn to look up at him... just in time to see him carefully lower himself to the floor beside her. Then his hands gripped her shoulders, with just enough light hitting him that she could see his expression. Shaking, she pulled herself toward him - his strong grip only tightened, holding her against him.

"I'm scared" she breathed again. "The Blood Spirals just attacked my home - it's like my childhood all over again; nothing is safe anymore!"

"Hey, it's not exactly like that" he said soothingly, or he tried; his voice was also weak. "Your home - _our_ home - is still intact. We can fix everything else."

She whimpered against him, fingers digging into his shoulders.

"And you still have all of us."

Still shaking, she slowly pried her head from his neck, with just enough distance to look at him. "L-Lok" she breathed weakly, eyes teary.

He slowly inched closer, "And I'll always be here for you" he breathed gently, tinged with worry - then he slowly touched his lips to hers.

She breathed out weakly, slowly pulling him in even closer, the sensations beginning to help. It wasn't a romantic kiss, but one of love, of support ... exactly what she needed right now. It lasted for about five seconds before he pulled back an inch, fingers slowly touching her cheek - she pulled him close again, wanting to feel his strength for a little. He was more than willing, holding her back tightly.

/

Zhalia slowly sighed, as quiet as could be, just leaning against the wall - much like the still-vainly-trying Sophie, she couldn't sleep that well. She didn't blame why, yet the fact remained-

-her instincts tingled slightly, and she turned - a faint light was pulsing in the corner, where she'd left her pack.

To her utter disbelief, she saw her Logosbook was glowing, it's light strengthening and weakening at regular intervals.

 _"At this time of night?"_ she thought, weary and surprised. _"How does he know I'm awake?"_

Then again, there was no way he _could_ know, even if he was psychic...

After a moment, she slowly sighed, straightening off the wall. _"Logosbook"_ she breathed, opening it up.

 _Zhalia, if you're getting this before 6 AM over there, call up my Holotome from yours._

She felt a rush of feelings, subdued by events and the late hour, yet still made her lip twitch... she wasn't quite surprised though, when she thought about it. Lingering a moment, she closed her Logosbook, before digging around for her Holotome. Zhalia made sure to stay quiet throughout, not wanting to disturb anyone, but finally she found the elusive thing. Powering it up, she plugged in the earbuds first and foremost, took a deep breath before she did the inevitable... her beating heart seemed to slow time as the call rang.

It couldn't have been more than seconds, yet it felt like longer.

Dante's image came up fast. _"Zhalia"_ he breathed, worried.

Without effort, her lip curled a bit. "I'm fine, Dante" she told him, whispering.

 _"I knew that's what you'd say, but I had to talk to you"_ he continued, slowly breathing out. _"Zhalia, you have_ no _idea how much I wish I was there right now... matter-of-fact, if it were up to me, I'd have gotten off a plane by now."_

Even having expected something like that, her heart warmed a little. "I'm honestly fine" she whispered, moving her fingers up a bit. "Dante... I'm shaken, as I should be, but I've endured worse. I'll keep moving forward, as will the others, even if they need a little push."

Slowly, his hologram's fingers moved into the picture, flickering just as they touched the tips to her hand. _"I wouldn't have expected anything less from you"_ he continued, faint. _"But I should still be there for you Zhalia, physically."_

Zhalia glanced down, for a moment. "...and if I melted in your arms from a hug, what would you have done then?" she asked, trying for sly.

Dante looked at her for awhile, before he breathed out, a little smile tugging at his lips. _"I don't know; that wouldn't be like you"_ he answered honestly.

"No, it wouldn't."

But internally, regarding her tease, Zhalia's heart was pounding, and yet she felt relieved. Pounding because of the obvious, and relieved because... because she was surprised; it had been easier than she'd thought. At the same time she felt this, Dante just looked down at their hands, his flickering because of the hologram's closeness to her - still, he made several motions, as if to brush his fingers against the back of her hand. When she noticed this, she almost felt the need to have him physically here, to feel him doing so for real, before she caught herself. Still, even when Dante glanced at her, she merely looked back with a little nod.

He was doing fine.

* * *

 _The next day_

"You're sure everyone's okay?"

Zhalia glanced behind her; Lok and Sophie were currently talking, and Den's watching Cherit test his arm. "Well, I can't vouch for any psychiatric reviews, but... I'm sure we'll all make it" she said to LeBlanche, weary.

The older man slumped against the wall, slightly relieved. "I'm glad; it could have been far worse."

She agreed inside, but also glad she'd neglected to mention that Sophie had been crying - the red eyes she had upon waking had given that away, at least before she worked them off. However, Sophie herself seemed fine despite this, if subdued - actually that summed them all up, except possibly Cathy. And speaking of Lok's sister, no one save herself had seen her all day, or even a hint of her presence beyond missing food from the fridge (they'd stocked up, as it'd been a long time since Dante had been here). So she was worried, in more ways than one, but also knew this wasn't something they could force; Cathy had to come to them, if she was coming at all.

 _"I hope she does..."_ Zhalia thought to herself.

Internally though, due to her experience and Dante's house being smaller than Sophie's Townhouse, Zhalia had sensed the woman a few times. She'd let Cathy go though, as she was still freaking internally; any attempt to talk to her would be risky.

...

At about the same time, Sophie moved her fingertips against Lok's, trying to draw strength from him that way. "There's something I felt yesterday, Lok" she said slowly. "During the battle-"

He looked at her, but didn't say anything, not that she blamed him.

"When you were knocked unconscious, I came back to you" she admitted, the image of his unconscious self trying to rise; she suppressed it, hard. "I saw Pendragon battling with Efreet King... and after making sure you were okay, I-I took control of the battle."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Pendragon obeyed my commands" Sophie continued. "Somehow, we- we connected, Lok. I felt his thoughts for a few seconds, and he even read my mind about avoiding a blow to the head. What I don't understand is how this could've happened."

She expected the surprise, but the internal understanding bit was a surprise. "Wait a minute, I think the same thing happened to me" Lok said shrewdly, glancing up. "When I had Santiago take you away, I called for Sabriel... and I think for one second, I felt her thoughts as well."

"But how?" she asked faintly, marveling at such a thing. "They weren't our Titans! Unless-"

He looked back at her, blinking. "'Unless' what?"

Her cheeks heated up slightly, despite her previous feelings. "Maybe it's us" Sophie said, Lok tilting his head. "You and I, we know each other so well - and no longer just in the friendly way. Our bond is strong... maybe so strong, that we're beginning to tap into the bonds of the other's Titans, because they know they can trust us."

He breathed out, then managed a small smile. "If that's true, then it could change our tactics considerably" he said, thinking. "Or rather, expand our available ones - yeah, I think that's the better thing to say."

She breathed out a little, already feeling better. "I hope it is true" Sophie admitted, grasping Lok's fingers. "It'll be a further reminder of how close we are."

He kept the small smile, grasping back.

...

Standing stone-still behind the corner, Cathy heard everything that was going on the room.

"It looks like you'll be alright, Cherit."

"I certainly feel everything in my arm, Den. That's good news, right?"

*very slight chuckle* "Of course it is."

"But really, are you sure you want to leave Medusa's amulet here?"

"Yeah... *sigh* frankly, while I don't think she's a completely lost cause yet, like the Legendary Titan of Fate, Arc, she's too unpredictable right now. I can't have that uncertainty in the Spirit World... after everything's done, I'll come back for her, and go from there."

Cathy slowly made a sound, head against the wall, feeling completely nerve-racked - which showed in the way her fingertips shook.

They were all fine, sorta, and talking about what happened as if this was semi-normal, but at the same time wishing it hadn't happened. Yeah, she could understand that; those 'bad guys' had just attacked their home in broad daylight with an army. It must be their experience in battle that was helping... but she had very little, and this was her first big skirmish, as if she'd been thrown into the fray. No wonder she's rattled, numb even, but the knowledge didn't help. Plus she blurrily remembered her bro saying so before she woke up properly - and he felt terrible about it, she knew.

Still shaking, she slowly reached into her pocket, pulling out the amulet of Ironsquire. It sat there, doing nothing, but still she could feel that invisible bond if she just looked hard enough...

What was she gonna do?

A rapid incoming series of beeps from behind her, drawing the attention of the team - because she'd been so absorbed, there was no gasp when she realized this.

 _"Everyone."_

"Dante!"

In the back of her head, she was surprised; now Dante gave this team their missions?

Curious despite her conflict, Cathy slowly peeked around the corner, making sure no one saw her first. Everyone stood side-by-side, Cherit flapping his wings beside Den, with their backs turned toward her - meanwhile, Dante himself was on the big screen, kinda just like the one in Sophie's Townhouse... just smaller.

 _"Is everyone all right?"_

"The standard question?" Zhalia asked, an undercurrent of... affection in her voice, so subtle most could have easily missed it.

Dante managed a small smile, for a moment. _"Humor me."_

"We're fine, really" Sophie said, glancing down, no doubt sad (her little bro touched his fingertips to hers again). "We've rested up, and only the memory remains..."

 _"Memory can still be a terrible burden, just as much as it can be pleasant"_ Dante noted, before discreetly glancing at Zhalia, then in _her_ direction, but only for a split-sec. _"But the plan is still the same?"_

"Yes, it is, and about time too!" came from Cherit, who was somewhat cheerful now at the thought of going home (understandable). Den followed with a slight nod - however, Cathy's attention was on Zhalia, whose head turned slightly. By instinct, she hid behind the wall again, silently breathing out.

She remembered her former infiltrator status; Zhalia must know she's behind this wall, having done similar things in her time.

But would she expose her?

"Anyway, yeah, the plan is still the same; to be carried out in one hour" her little bro said.

 _"And Cathy?"_

No one answered, and she turned her head faintly, still pressed against the wall.

"I'm not sure yet... but I believe she'll come with us."

There was no doubt whatsoever; her brother did believe it...

* * *

 _An hour later_

"Is this it?"

So Lok asked, looking around the room, where Sophie, Zhalia, Den, Cherit, LeBlanche and the still-weakened Santiago were standing - along with Janusea the Gatekeeper, ready for the portal summoning. All the supplies they could reasonably carry were in backpacks that they wore. He hated to leave the rest sitting here, or used at the beachhead instead, but logistics and all that. This portal wouldn't remain forever, and it would drain most of their energy, so they couldn't just come back for anything they missed.

"That's everything" Sophie said, with a sense of finality before her eyes changed. "...except for your sister."

He was saddened, still not having seen/heard any sign of her, and the un-carried backpack meant for her kept drawing his eyes.

"I really hope she comes in time" Cherit said sadly.

"We all do" Lok said, somewhat faintly, before looking up. "You're sure that she knew the time we're leaving?" he asked of LeBlanche.

"Yes is it, Lok" the older man answered, his fingers briefly flexing. "We made sure notes were left everywhere Cathy could've been."

"As much as I hate to say it though, she could've left the house" Den said, hands in his pockets.

"And go where?" Zhalia asked faintly - Den didn't answer; but he didn't need to. "Cathy knows" she stated simply, faint.

The room was silent, his sister's absence as big a statement as you could get... Lok slowly sighed. "Well then, I guess it's time" he said reluctantly.

"Permission to go with you, Lady Sophie?"

Sophie looked at Santiago, with a small touched smile. "As much as I would like that, both of you-" she said, "You're still in no condition to trek across the Spirit World, Santiago. And in case the Blood Spiral's come back here to observe, I'd like it if you two kept the place in top shape, by not being here."

"But-"

"However" she continued, surprising them. "If the situation changes _enough_ , you have my permission to accompany the Huntik Foundation to the Spirit World beachhead."

Beside her, Lok smiled a bit at that, which she caught with her eyes.

Both men looked at each other, and recognized what she meant as well. "Very well, my Lady" Santiago breathed, bowing, or as much of one as he could manage.

Feeling there's nothing more that could be said or done, Lok slowly reached out his hand to Sophie. She saw this, and with a determined expression stepped closer to take it, looking at Zhalia as she offered her own. Zhalia stepped forward, slipping her hand into Sophie's - on Lok's other side, Den had already taken his other hand. Cherit made a sound, sad to be excluded even if it was for his own safety, flying close by Den's shoulder. All that remained was-

A small scuffle.

Den and Zhalia paused in completing the circle, and everyone looked toward the doorway, including LeBlanche and Santiago, who stepped away from it.

Cathy stood there.

A few moments passed in silence, Cathy slowly glancing down, her fingers twitching.

"I'm-" she breathed, very weak at first, before she forced through it. "I wasn't okay... and I'm still not" she continued, before taking in a deep breath, slowly stepping forward after a few false starts. "But I want- I want to find dad."

Lok slowly walked forward, breaking the circle. "Cath" he breathed weakly, pulling her into a hug (she didn't resist). "Oh, Cath."

Her grip tightened a little, and he did likewise.

"You sure though?" he whispered. "We could wait a few minutes... you know, get you to let it all out."

A few seconds, then she stirred, slowly pulling out of their hug a bit. "I've- I've already let out a lot" she said, a little shaky, but determined. "Trust me, bro. But I'm not giving up on my family."

His mouth moved a little, and he slowly nodded - he felt terrible that he'd gotten his sister into this, but he couldn't help but be proud of her. Slowly, he glanced back at the group, who had all their own reactions to their moment; no one needed to say anything

"Thank you, Cath" Lok merely breathed, both of them managing small smiles, for a moment anyway.

Just then, LeBlanche stepped up beside them, surprising Cathy, especially at the backpack meant for her. She looked at it for a moment, then looked at him, but took another deep breath as she took it. Carefully, she shouldered it, initially jolting under the weight - then she straightened a bit. Even as this happened, Lok slowly walked back, retaking his place in the circle. "Be ready" he said to everyone, just before Cathy slowly joined the circle, between Den and Zhalia, taking their hands after everyone else had.

Then he closed his eyes, Sophie's fingers tightening slightly on his.

"One... two... three."

 _"Nexual."_

The portal loudly came into existence, making them groan, though he heard a slight hum as Janusea worked her magic. He kept his focus on maintaining the image in his head though, as was necessary. He started sweating slightly at the effort, but felt his way through the countdown. When it was over, he opened his eyes, seeing a stable portal before his eyes. Lok waited for something to go wrong...

Nothing did.

He breathed out, mostly in relief. "Well, then-" he started to say.

"Last one in's a rotten egg!" Cherit exclaimed happily, before he flew head-first in.

"Cherit!" Sophie exclaimed, a little shocked after he went in. The team barely had enough time to exchange looks before-

"You guys should see this!" Cherit continued, flying around excited-like, having come back through the portal in a flash. "It's my home after all!" he finished, flying back into the portal without a hitch.

No one spoke for a sec.

"Well, I guess that rules out anything dangerous in the immediate vicinity" Zhalia said mildly enough, stepping forward, calling back Janusea. "And I'd suggest we get moving" she added, before walking in herself. Next was Den, giving them slight looks saying 'well, what did you expect?', as if he wasn't surprised by Cherit's behavior. After he went in, Sophie sighed a bit, probably at the recklessness, but still looked at him. "See you inside, I guess" she said, trying for a lighter tone, before running in herself.

Despite his heart beating faster, he looked back at Cathy, offering his hand.

She took it, their hands clenching together for support, hers tight to prevent herself from shaking - then after a deep breath on her part, they ran in together.

/

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

His vision a little dark after the bright light, Lok slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times. "Wow..."

They all stood on some sort of raised plateau, which while it had growing grass, was yellow in appearance instead of green, with a haze everywhere you looked. Around the plateau itself, or what they could see at least, were a lot of varied geographical locations - much like Den and Zhalia's initial report, though obviously different in location. A sort of barren desert area, a mountainous area in the distance, and a major river sprawling to their right. On the plateau itself, they'd landed right next to a forest, though the trees were highly different than anything he'd seen before (their bark was sharp-edged, for one thing). And the biggest thing was the volcano about 200 feet away from them...

Despite it wafting smoke though, it was so faint you could barely see it. He was gonna take that as a sign that it was dormant, or not active enough to be a danger (he hoped).

Then Lok looked up, and saw a very... _weird_ sky up there. Like an aurora, definitely like from Zhalia's reports, but the color? It was like soup or something, and don't get him started on the patterns - there was no solid or consistent color, and it was constantly changing even as he looked at it!

A light scratching brought his attention back down, and he turned to see Sophie lightly picking at the bark on a tree, rubbing a small fragment between her fingers. "Well, a forest I can get; they get new growth from ash" she said mildly, hand on her hip. "But a volcano in the middle of a plateau? Gah-" she continued, touching a hand to her temple, rubbing slightly. "This place is gonna be a geographical nightmare."

"Or a challenge" he added, trying for a little cheerful - he found he didn't have to try though, because excitement was starting to sink in (it felt great after everything). "Hopefully a fun one."

She gave him a look for that, but her scoff was of slight laughter, giving him hope she's feeling the same as well.

...

Meanwhile, Den looked around carefully - definitely the same-yet-strange features, and the same sky 'patterns'. Just a different location, for sure, and he saw much the same hints in Zhalia's expression. Below them, he spotted a Nightlurker grappling with a Psikofen – it didn't appear to be fully serious though. Maybe those two enjoyed the thrill of combat? Behind him, there was a small thump.

Zhalia saw this first, and was beside Cathy before him, her legs having given out. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah" she breathed faintly on the ground, blinking, before keeping her eyes closed. "Yeah, sure... just another big shock here. Is this real?" she continued, before pinching her arm. "Ow-"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea" he said, much as he hated to. "You're a strong person, Cathy, but everyone can only take so much so fast."

Zhalia slowly glanced at him, then back at Cathy. "Luckily for her, this should be the last unexpected big shock" she said aside to him, then helped the girl to her feet. "And Cathy, we're here to find your dad, just as much as you want to" she said bracingly."

"I know that" Cathy breathed, her eyes still closed, saying this for her benefit as much as theirs. "I'll be okay; I just need to take a few deep breaths... then I can open my eyes again, and start taking this all in. I can't let things get to me - not when we're gonna find him."

"That's the spirit" Zhalia merely said, glancing at him; he nodded, knowing they would take what they could get.

After that though, Den looked around for a sec. "Hey, where's Cherit?" he asked.

They all looked around, but Zhalia was the one to spot him: flying around every which way high above them, letting out a lot of cries and shouts of joy, and otherwise oblivious to everything else.

"What is he doing?" Cathy wondered, her eyes still closed.

Den slowly smiled, even though Cathy couldn't see this. "Well, the Spirit World is the home of all Titans" he said, crossing his arms as he watched. "Cherit has solely been in our world for 10,000 years - a long time to be away from home."

Behind him, Zhalia glanced at Cathy. "He'll come back down when he runs out of steam" she said mildly. "Till then, he's gonna stay up there no matter what we do."

/

 _A few hours later; noon_

The team all sat at a makeshift campsite with a fire, having dug a pit out of a patch without any growth, using bark from the nearby trees (though there'd been a number of sharp pokes; seriously this stuff was like spikes). Above them, a slightly-expanded Sunburst held it's position, marking their position to anyone or anything who might see it... it was a risk, regarding any Titans who might interfere, or even The Professor, but they were trying to find dad. And before that, they'd carefully scanned around with their Holotomes, determining if any of the food was poisonous. So far nothing dangerous, but they had to make sure. He'd also heard something from Sophie when she scanned, regarding the perpetual haze in the Spirit World, apparently forming a theory or two about that.

So there they were, in the Spirit World, eating fairly ripe fruit of a different kind... and no real plan.

 _"Yeah, it all boils down to that"_ Lok thought wearily. _"We got in, but other than my dad, The Professor and the Titans,_ no one _knows the layout of this place! ...or if this place 'has' a fixed layout at all. Those trees have literally bent themselves ninety degrees since we first saw them, and grown underbrush for a big-ish area - looks like Zhalia's theory about this place constantly changing was right."_

He knew that wasn't gonna stop them - if they had to, they'd come back another day, having the means to visit this place (almost) whenever they wanted to. Right now though, after the attack on Sophie's Townhouse, at Zhalia's advice, they were to disappear into Huntik for awhile; try to throw off the Blood Spiral's apparent plans regarding them. Anyway, he just kinda hoped the team already knew this; asking him if he had a plan would get an embarrassing answer, and a lot of teases or worse. Still, when he looked up, he saw Sophie sitting beside him on the right (looking up at the sky for right now), and Cathy on Sophie's right simply looking at her piece of fruit.

"How you doing, Cath?" Lok asked gently.

She looked up, smiling a bit. "Better" she admitted, if still faint, "but I still can't believe this is happening!"

"To be honest, neither are we" Sophie said gently, having brought her gaze back down. "I thought about having to pinch myself as well - we're just plain lucky to be visiting the Titan world. It's the greatest modern discovery in Foundation history, even above the Legendary Titans!"

"I second that!" cheerfully came from Cherit, faint, because he was still high, _high_ above them. How he was still listening to them while in that happy-state was another story...

"How is he still listening up there?" Den wondered out loud, really surprised, looking up at the Titan.

Well, what do you know?

"Easy there, explorers" Zhalia chided mildly, to Sophie's annoyed look - still, the team shared a chuckle at this, except for Sophie (but she did soften).

"Well, teams will be busy here, but first thing's first" Lok started, glad; they needed these kinds of moments after what happened. Then he opened his mouth to-

 _Rustle_

Lok snapped around, and everyone else tensed (only Cathy remained surprised, and worried after that); something was coming through the underbrush.

"Who's there!?" he called, standing up.

Sounds of heavy breathing...

"L-Lok?"

He gasped, stunned at the voice, looking around but he saw nothing. "Dad!?" he called.

"You're really here-"

"Where are you!?"

A slight pause, then: "Oh god, I forgot I still have this on" came his voice... then, _"Thoughtspectre."_

Lok looked straight at the underbrush, where a shimmering effect melted away, revealing-

"Dad! - "Dad!?"

For someone who'd spent the past ten years surviving, maybe even on the run, he looked pretty well - in fact, almost _exactly_ like he remembered, aside from small aging lines. His clothes bore numerous signs of wear-and-tear, particularly in the faded-away coloring, but the lack of cuts or holes stood out. And in addition, his hands bore several small scratches, though they weren't anywhere near fresh. Still breathing fairly heavy, dad continued look straight at him, his expression one of 'hardly daring to hope'.

"Lok-"

He was all ready to rush straight at dad, but a blur beat him to it.

"Dad!"

Eathon staggered from the impact, but it was with a welcome grunt, and he gripped her tightly as Cathy shook against him. "Cathy" he breathed, his voice rasping, hand briefly on the back of her head. He looked up just in time for Lok to join them, and he drew his son in to join the hug - "Lok, you're both here!"

"We finally found you" Lok breathed, shaking a bit himself, "After all this time!" Then he pulled back, just enough to look at dad (Cathy remained attached, teary-eyed). "Are you okay?" he asked quickly, having to blink away the upcoming tears. "Where's the Professor?"

His dad made a sound, keeping Cathy close with one arm. "I'm better now that I've felt in ages" he said, gentle, looking between him and Cathy. "And there's a lot we'll need to catch up on, but we don't have all the time in the world."

"How bad is it?"

"An urgent matter, but not immediately so."

Lok breathed out, relieved and showing it. "Then we still have enough time to talk right now, dad" he said confidently, giving his dad another hug. "Today we catch up and rest, make plans, all of us."

Eathon raised an eyebrow. "You say that with the measure of a leader" he said, approving.

Lok slowly rubbed his head, glancing back at the others (who were understandably staying out of it, no matter how glad they were for them), before back at his dad. "Well, long story short, I _am_ the leader" he admitted. "I lead this Huntik team, where Dante previously did so."

"Are you part of this, Cathy?" dad asked, looking straight at her, his sister still understandably hanging onto him.

"Uh" she breathed, a little weak and briefly at a loss, glancing at all of them before: "N-Not officially, no, dad... but I did want to help find you!"

Eathon smiled gently, standing just apart from her, hands on her shoulders. "And now you have" he stated gently, to which her eyes began shining again, partly with tears. He gently wiped at them a little, before he slowly turned, looking beyond Lok to the rest of the group.

Lok quickly noticed this. "Oh right, uh the re-introductions-" he said, before gesturing the others forward, waiting a few seconds. "Dad" he continued gently, with a smile, "this is Sophie Casterwill, current leader of the Casterwill Elders, direct descendant of Lord Casterwill himself... and before she 'nudges' me to mention it (he air-quoted that, to amused looks all around), we're a thing."

Sophie playfully rolled her eyes, but she smiled at Eathon, curtsying a little. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Eathon Lambert" she said graciously, extending her hand, which dad took with a smile.

"You've got the same steel and resolve as the rest of your bloodline" he noted, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "But refreshingly little of the same arrogance, by comparison."

"Oh _tell me_ about it-!"

"Anyway!" Lok quickly cut in, with a sheepish chuckle. "Anyway, Sophie's been a great help to us, dad, and to me."

Eathon chuckled. "I take it Sandra approved of you right away" he said mildly, letting go of Sophie's hand. "And not just in personality."

Sophie blushed slightly, glancing at Lok before: "Yes, she did" she answered softly, hands behind her back, "though we're taking it slow."

"For a certain definition of 'slow'" Lok added mildly, to Sophie's annoyed look, which he merely smiled at playfully.

Dad just chuckled a bit at the display, crossing his arms. "So I guess the father speech isn't needed" he said mildly, to which Lok laughed at, and Cathy slightly added onto (she was getting better, wiping the tears off her eyes). Then he looked over, and saw Cherit (who had come down, surprisingly), which he broke out in a small grin: "Cherit, it's good to see you again!"

"As it is to me, old friend" the winged Titan said graciously.

"Tell me, how's Dante?"

"He has taken a seat on the Huntik Council" he said cheerfully, before gesturing to Lok. "In his place, Lok took the position as team leader from him, as he's said."

An interested hum and glance, but dad asked no more - least for now.

"Anyway" Lok continued, gesturing at Zhalia now. "Dad, this is Zhalia Moon, former member and infiltrator of the Organization-"

"You _had_ to start off with that, Lok?"

He made a sound, but after a few seconds, Zhalia's 'hostile' tone and look faded a bit - then he realized what happened; he _had_ to start getting when he was being played for a fool.

This information caused a little wariness from Eathon though: "The Organization again" he slowly breathed to himself.

"I wouldn't worry sir; I've already been through the whole 'where-do-my-true-loyalities-lie?' process" Zhalia continued faintly, arms folded. "It took a 'little' effort, but I turned to the Huntik Foundation months ago. Plus, the current Organization is more of a rival now, for our mutual interest in Titans" she continued.

"And all of us can vouch for that, sir" Sophie added, almost leaning against Lok, who nodded.

"I-It's true, dad" Cathy spoke up, drawing his attention. "Zhalia's been like a big sister to me - maybe I haven't known her as long as the others, but I would say the same about her... e-except for the life part, maybe."

That brought a little smile out of him, looking around them. "I wouldn't presume to doubt that, but I may have questions later" he said, glancing at Zhalia - she returned the gaze evenly.

"And finally, our newest official member before Cathy, chronologically-" Lok continued, drawing a slight eyebrow raise from Sophie; that wasn't his usual vocabulary. "Den Fears. He and his brother were an orphanage for quite awhile, until the Blood Spirals came recruiting-"

"They recruited you, son?" Eathon asked, stepping forward, fairly intent - beside him, Cathy was nearly put off balance, but she recovered.

While a little surprised at the sudden attention, Den slowly nodded. "Ah, yes sir, they tried to-"

"Did they mark you?"

Subconsciously, he glanced at his right arm: "Yes, but it-"

Without preamble, Eathon gripped Den's right arm ("Hey!"), and rolled up the sleeve - and there it sat, as indifferent and unchanging as when he'd been marked. "What are you-?"

Eathon moved his free hand over the mark. _"Curselock!"_

Den cried out as his arm jerked, powerful green energies cackling - everyone was shocked ("Dad, what are you doing!?"), but Eathon ignored them, the energies still swirling before it faded away steadily. Steam curled faintly off both of them when Eathon let go... but when Den looked back, he was shocked. The rest of them only had to take a look to realize why-

His mark was _gone_.

Well, actually, there was a skin-colored afterimage 'print' on his arm where it had been, but otherwise it was nowhere to be seen.

"What-?" Den breathed, still shocked. "What did you do?"

"I've disabled the mark" Eathon said, sounding relieved. "At least temporarily."

"What do you mean 'disabled' it, dad?"

Eathon turned, looking back at them, but also keeping Den within his sight. "Recently, after a few tries, the Professor managed to mark me with that same cursed mark" he said, to general shock. "It was a clever trick, and I managed to escape, but the Professor would always keep finding me" he continued, rather grim, even as he looked at his left arm. "Eventually I realized the Blood Spirals had a spell that manipulated the mark, allowing it to track anyone marked with it, and listen in on conversations."

 _"What!?"_

Eathon looked at Den, who looked completely ticked off (and wasn't done): "So that's how they knew our every move!" Den raged, all of it spilling out, while unnoticed the trees' branches began twisting and changing in direct response to his anger. "No wonder they kept finding us! Those bullies were using this damn mark to spy on us, through me!"

"I'm afraid so" Eathon said gravely.

Den grunted, still ticked, then he stepped forward, intent. "What you did, how long does it last?"

Eathon slowly sighed, holding up his left arm, where if you looked closely, a similar Blood Spiral 'print' was on the underside of his forearm (just above the elbow). "Based on my experience, anywhere between ten and sixteen hours before the mark comes back" he said grimly. "Despite being a cheap imitation of a Nullifier mark, it has powers beyond this world."

The silence was oppressive, aside from Den's steamed breathing... until Zhalia stepped forward.

"You'd best work on me too, sir" she said, perfectly aware she was breaking an awkward silence. "I've done a an uncover stint with them before, so yeah" she continued, baring her left arm, her own mark visible.

Eathon looked at it, but directed a glance at her, as if still wary. "Very well" he breathed eventually.

* * *

 _Later; 'nighttime'_

"Mmh- oh, it's been so long."

"They're _crackers_ , dad" Lok breathed, a little surprised to see his dad munching like that- but hey, he'd take it anyway.

Eathon gave him a side smile, small crumbs over his chin in his haste. "When you're a survivalist in a fantastic dimension for ten odd years, you'll take anything you can get, son" he said mildly, continuing to eat.

Still surprised, he looked at Sophie, but was confused at the highly-amused smirk she sported at him. "What?"

She giggled, keeping the look. "What, this doesn't remind you of the way you eat, Lok?" she asked, entirely playfully.

Half-offended, he opened his mouth to say something... but closed it, unsure; was that _really_ how he ate, even sometimes? Or was she just messing with him again?

On his dad's other side, Cathy made a sound, looking at this. "Even something as simple as this, I can't believe it" she breathed, arms wrapped around herself. "Any of it. I feel like I'm gonna wake up any minute here..."

Eathon gently took her hand, squeezing it firmly - this helped her after a moment.

Back to Lok, he was mentally glad she was doing okay; if he'd come _here_ on his first day, he doubted he'd have held up so well. _"Yeah, like I held up so well in the first place"_ he thought ruefully, remembering how he'd walked away from the Titan world at first. All of this would still take some time to sink in, for all of them.

...

At about the same time, Zhalia saw this little family moment in her peripheral vision, a fair distance away... slowly, she touched a hand to her mark, glad Eathon had done something about it (even temporarily). Then she dug into her pack, and pulled out Lernaean Hydra's amulet, worried about his well-being. The image of his ninth head being sliced off remained in her head, and despite the adrenaline at the time, she'd felt a stab of horror when it happened. And more than that, she could still feel the sharp pain that went through her; as intense as a paper cut, despite being vastly different wounds.

 _"While I'm certain this Titan inspired the legend of the hydra, how and when will it grow back?"_ she thought faintly, worried. _"The Holotomes all say said he has that regeneration ability, but no specifics about it, as per usual."_

Beside her, also on unofficial guard duty (but really not wanting to intrude on the long-awaited family bonding), Den saw the amulet - and he slowly sighed. "Don't worry, he'll be fine" he said, with traces of disgruntlement from earlier. "And you're not the only one; Tyrannos has been a little edgy over his 'loss'."

"Every Titan gets overwhelmed at some point" she responded, but with a small curve. "Perhaps you should feel that to him."

He tilted his head briefly. "Maybe" Den said faintly, before looking up at the sky, slowly grunting. "And meanwhile, I don't think there's day-and-night in the Spirit World."

She glanced up, at the random-swirling-colors-and-patterns soup that was the 'sky', which while different than hours/seconds ago, was still at the same intensity it had been, light-wise. "What makes you say that?" she asked rhetorically.

Den didn't answer; the amulet of Tyrannos seemed to gleam slightly though.

Zhalia wondered about that, but then tried to think what had inspired this Titan - obviously his species came straight from the history books, but he seemed a bit too 'modern' to her. Or rather, he looked a lot like the media interpretations of a T-rex, rather than one pulled straight from 65+ million years ago. It made her wonder how he came to be; was he formed in that time long-past, and simply adapted himself based on the image of a modern T-rex... or did he was a recent Titan, 'born' however their species were born, and chose this form?

So many questions, so little time.

...

"There's still so many questions I want to ask" Sophie said to dad, holding what she called a 'Cypherdex' in her lap, which seemed to be her family version of a Holotome (of sorts; Cathy was still learning). Anyway, the woman's eyes were practically sparkling at the excitement: "About the Titans, this world, and so much more! I wish we had more time!"

"Easy there, Sophie" Lok said mildly, sitting inches beside her, arm around her shoulders. "We'll learn about it all in bits and pieces, least for now, then after this is over, it'll probably become our life's work."

Sophie gave her brother a simultaneous soft and playfully-annoyed look, but still smiled. "That sounds like a plan" she said, mildly pushing his chest, making him intentionally stagger a bit.

"If you wish to do so, I wouldn't be against it" dad added, before he chuckled. "However, for now, we have to focus on stopping the Professor and the Blood Spirals. But since we don't set out till tomorrow, and everyone present is curious, I think I'll give a little history. None of it is one-hundred-percent verified - I'm only a single explorer - but I'm sure the truth is somewhere in there."

From her sleeping bag, Cathy slowly turned, just as curious about this as her brother and Sophie (all overwhelmed feeling aside). Well, maybe her curiosity was dwarfed by theirs, but she barely noticed - and if she knew Sophie, she was recording all this as they spoke.

Dad was bemused by his captivated audience, but still enjoying it. "Well, at the most basic level, Titans evolved much like we did - just in a different dimension. However, unlike us, no one species became the dominant one; rather, they all evolved at the same rate, until they essentially became a single incredibly diverse species."

"Is that possible?" Lok asked of Sophie, whispering.

"Maybe not in our world, but here?" she whispered back. "Who knows?"

Dad looked like he caught this, but let it slide. "Anyway, unlike our own, this dimension is composed equally of pure energy and matter" he continued, gesturing up at the 'sky' above them, and somewhat to the 'haze' all around them. "And as the Titans realized, strong emotions and thoughts changed the world around them, thanks to this."

"What?" Lok breathed, just the same as she thought it (Sophie just seemed a little stunned). "Wait, so, if I felt sad right now... this yellow grass around us would die?"

Dad merely shook his head. "Not that extreme, Lok" he said mildly. "Only strong emotions or thoughts can affect things like that, like Den's earlier anger. The sky itself is loose energy, so it changes all the time, but the land itself is more stable and takes more effort to change. I believe that's what the haze represents."

"Okay" her brother breathed, relieved. "I can go with that."

Well at least he could go with it; she was still trying to process it all!

"The Titans saw this as a great power" dad continued anyway, "and they embraced it - this led to their association with 'magic', though technically, it's simply using energy."

"Wait a minute-" Sophie said. "Does that mean the ability to use spells was passed down to us from the Titans?"

"Not quite, Sophie" dad answered. "It was never 'passed down' in that manner - rather, the ability was discovered by your ancestor, Lord Casterwill (a little gasp from Sophie). He and his children observed it, and realized they could do the same: manipulate energy with their thoughts and emotions. And I believe anyone is capable of doing the same, provided they know how - structuring it with words is the easiest, but it's still possible otherwise. Lord Casterwill was simply the first to prove it was possible, much like he did with Titan summoning."

"Wow" Lok breathed, awed.

This lead to a little mini-conversation over how this explained a bunch, about the Titan's mental bonds, magic, etc etc. From her spot, Cathy slowly lay down, feeling overwhelmed, but in the good way this time. She didn't know how it worked that way, but... she was glad for this team, and this world. It had brought her dad back, and she had to admit, she did like many of the Titans she'd seen, when they weren't being fierce at least. It still seemed like a dream though, and she feared it would burst at any moment...

Due to this overwhelming feeling, she didn't hear much, other than a snippet or two, such as:

"Btw, Eathon, the Titan's experience with energy - is Powerbonding connected to it?"

"Quite, Sophie. Thus far, I believe the golden color symbolizes the strong bond - so when a Titan Powerbonds, they show off this improved bond in their own unique way. In addition, the increased energy leads to many benefits, such as appearance/shape change, new abilities, and other such things. I'm still working on the armor aspect though..."

Zhalia's words came back to her: _"You know, I always wondered about that; you'd think it'd be different for each Titan."_

Cathy smiled a little - well, even the best couldn't figure everything out right away.

For the next stretch, she just lay there, hearing vaguely what was going on. This included (eventually) that they should get some rest - plus some comments about how her dad slept in a non-day-and-night cycle. Dad's answer was that he would simply ignore everything, relax, and let sleep come to him... but it still took some practice before his rhythms adjusted. Something she could understand well enough; it brought to mind her conversation with Sophie about frequent traveling throwing off her body's circadian rhythms/ If anything though, she was still wide awake-

"Cathy?"

She jolted a little, slowly turning over onto her back. "Oh, hey dad" she whispered, seeing him sit right beside her.

The weak greeting aside, her dad still smiled. "If you're afraid to go to sleep, still afraid that this is all a dream, you're not alone" he said gently, to her surprise. "To be honest, I'm having that same worry even now" he continued, rubbing his head.

She breathed out, relieved. "It does feel that way" she whispered, slowly sitting up. "This doesn't seem real, any of it... and I should be shaking, but I'm not. I should still be excited, that we found you, especially. Why aren't I?"

"I had that same reaction when I was pulled into this world, and I knew that the Huntik world existed nearly all my life beforehand" he mused faintly, glancing up for a moment, then back at her. "You're very strong to be holding up this well. But it's only natural that you feel like freaking, whether it's in shaking, or a lack of reaction. This place alone is too much for us to deal with, especially right away."

The encouragement, the understanding- oh, she didn't realize how much she missed that from him. "But - what now?" she continued, unsure. "I mean... I helped my brother find you; that's why I came along. And now..."

Despite trailing off, her dad's expression went serious as she trailed. "Hmm" he breathed, looking off to the side now. "Now you're not sure what to do next" he continued, to which she slowly nodded. "You know full well there's more to take care of, before I can come home" he said, a little sadder, but stating a fact.

"I just found you, and I want to keep it that way" she said quickly, almost a shout. "I'm not letting you go again!"

Judging by his look, he wasn't surprised; his own expression said similar.

Cathy drew back, breathing out. "But... I don't know if I can fight again..." she whispered, weak; the very thought of it threatened to make her shake again.

Dad gently grasped her shoulder, and jolted, she looked at him.

His smile was soft, gentle. "For now, my advice is to just take it one step at a time" he said gently, before he gently drew her into a hug. "Talk things out, work it off, scream - whatever you need to do, when you need to; we'll all understand."

She breathed out, hugging him back, just trying to bury herself in his warm grip as she shook.

Her dad was back... he was back...!

"And you've grown so much, Cathy. I still remember you as a little girl-"

"I-I wasn't that little-"

* * *

 _Blood Spiral Base, Unknown location_

Pretty much the entire Blood Spiral army stood present, the room filled to capacity on the ground 'floor', while others stood in rank upon higher ledges. They were silent, but it was hard to keep themselves at attention because of-

 _"Why do you allow this to happen!?"_

"As if I control what happens in the Spirit World" Murdock grumbled to the projected image of the Professor, holding a hand to his temple. "We're still trying to recover from the attack, and only an hour later, Eathon Lambert nullifies my listening spell just as he's been doing with yours, and we're supposed to do something about it?"

The Professor scowled. _"I expect you to have prevented that spell from being nullified in the first place!"_

Murdock grunted under his breath... possibly something about being a tracker, not a miracle worker.

"Shut it!" Shauna snapped, stepping forward. "The Betrayer is concerned, and Murdock will do everything possible to work through this block (the man in question made a sound, but un-surprised). But in the meantime, we have what we came for, including our goal of goading the 'team' into Huntik."

 _"About damn time"_ the Professor snapped, promptly terminating the connection, leaving Shauna in a rage... but only for a minute. Wind and Kiel observed this, side-by-side (they were forced to be).

She whirled around, her expression a snarl, but her words only had her usual venom. "It is time" she said offhandedly, walking down the steps. "Bring him."

Kiel grunted at this, jerking slightly, but he reluctantly obeyed as he brought their designated chest with them - Wind simply followed.

"And you four" she pointed out, to the 'volunteers', "Prepare the spell."

To the assembled Blood Spiral soldiers, she had this to say: "Now begins a bold new step for the Blood Spirals! Let us follow The Betrayer and bring the world to oblivion!"

The roar of the soldiers almost overrode the spell from the four Casterwill Hunters...

 _"Nexual!"_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Yeah, they weren't gonna be stuck in different dimensions with no way to get at each other lol. And also, about time they found Eathon again**

 **As to the recent Guest review, I've already said this story would primarily be about LokXSophie - with Dante and Zhalia separated by continents, what I've done thus far was only reasonable. However, with the action moving into the Spirit World, their communications will increase, due to things getting more serious.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	15. Plans

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The Blood Spiral's attack has shaken the Huntik team to it's core, in addition to riling up the larger world. However, the plan has not changed; Lok and his team go on to create a stable portal to the Spirit World, Huntik. Despite overwhelming fear and shock, Cathy has ultimately decided to come along with Lok - and in the Spirit World, the family's long-awaited reunion with their father Eathon comes true. However, Eathon also reveals that the Blood Spirals have been using their mark to spy on them, allowing them access to their every movement and word, though he manages to subdue the mark. The team still know they don't have much time, and hope to set out first thing.**

* * *

 _"Plans"_

 _Episode 67_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

 _The next day_

"So this is it, huh?"

Despite the calm, cool tone of his words, Dante was impressed; it was every bit as awe-inspiring as Zhalia's report had been. The landscape itself was even more diverse than Earth, and the sky itself was very much like a kaleidoscope - except considerably less organized. Looking behind him, he saw much the same reaction from everyone, including those setting up/securing the beachhead - though he could understand that. Still, everything looked to be in order, and so far the portal remained open, where men and women helped unload supplies from Earth to Huntik.

Well, at least it remained open for a number of minutes – maintaining the portal while it was still open took a lot of energy, though thankfully levels below opening it in the first place. Thus far they were maintaining it, but he hoped they wouldn't have to keep reopening it too much; if they ripped open a dimensional barrier permanently, they were in big trouble.

 _"But anyway, they say unload, and yet they're moving about twenty feet physically"_ he thought, this making smile a bit.

Now let's see, headcount: Montehue, Tersley, Santiago, LeBlanche, Harrison, Viviane, her two bodyguards Mallory and White, Lane, Dellix, and-

He hummed a bit, glancing over the site several times before he spotted Lucas, who was standing a slight distance away from the camp, back turned. He carefully checked off Lucas's name, then started walking over, stopping just beside him.

"If I know your sister, Lucas" he said mildly. "All this is making her freak out, in the good way."

"And you expect me to behave like that, Dante?"

"Hardly" Dante answered, glancing at the older teen. "You've already proven you're both quite different."

Lucas looked at him. "And your point is?" he asked.

"That despite those differences, you're still here with us, helping her indirectly" Dante answered, turning to face him. "I don't think the Lucas we first met in the library would be thrilled about doing this."

The teen's jaw worked a little, then he slowly turned back to the view. "...perhaps not" he admitted faintly. "But despite that, every fiber of my being is saying to be by her side, to protect her, yet my reason is also saying Sophie wouldn't accept that. And I finally got why; she hates being forcibly coddled."

"The same might be said of all Casterwills" he mentioned carefully, jolting Lucas, though a little irritated. "Or perhaps I should say, many of the older ones, who have grown intractable over the years. But there are exceptions, of course."

Lucas's fist clenched a bit, but he grunted, working it off. He didn't answer, but his silence in-and-of-itself _might_ have been one.

"Dante?"

"Hmm?" he breathed, turning, seeing Viviane having run up to him.

"They've finished unloading the supplies, but now there's some confusion over how to organize them" she said, before making a sound. "I wasn't sure how to do that either, so I thought I'd ask you."

"Well there's no shame in asking for help" he said mildly, beginning to walk past her. "Though for next time, you can sort them by type; it makes things easier overall."

On his way though, he remembered that he had to send a report that it was safe; that way Grier and his chosen forces could join them soon, as well as the other Huntik volunteers. Grier would have been here today, but the Huntik Foundation wanted to make sure everything went well first, to make sure Grier would get his choice 'discussion' with the Professor latter - it was only the mutual trust between him and Grier that allowed this arrangement.

* * *

 _Early morning_

Stirring a bit, Zhalia opened her eyes, sitting up.

As she looked at the makeshift camp, and the sleeping bodies of everyone, she wondered why she'd been the first to wake up... until she glanced at her pack, which now that she noticed, was beeping very faintly.

No, couldn't be - and yet the beeping continued.

Rising carefully, making sure not to disturb anyone (particularly stepping over Cherit's form), she dug around in her pack as quietly as she could. When she opened it up, she saw the source: her Holotome, with a recorded message for her. She didn't have to glance behind her, knowing full well everyone else was asleep - that left only one person who'd call her directly. Slowly sighing, she opened it up, plugging in ear buds so she could listen to it privately. The message formed the image of Dante, to her increased heart-rate.

 _"Zhalia"_ he said, with his usual smile. _"I'm recording this message at 8:00 AM today, taken in the Spirit World from the Huntik beachhead. I hope this reaches you, because I plan to call you again in about two hours. I would prefer if we could talk in private (she blushed slightly), but obviously I'll be glad just talking to you at all. And perhaps it will serve as a way to help you gain some experience, when we're alone."_

Despite the very broad-sounding answer, she knew exactly what he meant; 'gaining experience' by expressing herself to Dante. Not something she was an expert at... she was sure her face heated up.

 _"Until then, take care, Zhalia"_ his recorded image said gently. _"And for the record, I'm aware what I'm about to do is a 'little' corny."_

When she saw what he meant - that 'blowing a kiss' gesture - she giggled a little, both at the gesture itself and how silly Dante intentionally made it look. A second later, she subconsciously clamped over her mouth, glancing behind her... but other than a stir from Den, none of them woke up.

 _"You have got to stop doing that, Dante"_ she thought, heart hammering somewhat. _"That's the second time in a month."_

/

 _Under two hours later_

Okay, final check to make sure they had everything... yeah, looked good to him; they were all set to go. Still, one thing remained before Lok gave the team their all-good...

"So, Dad, what _is_ the plan?" he asked, standing right beside them, the two of them fifteen feet away from the team. Part of Lok wanted him to ask dad about every detail of his time here, or even just to dive deep into the feeling that he was back, but there wasn't time for it now.

Dad continued to observe the landscape before them, arms folded. "Actually, I was thinking about taking the fight straight to him" he said faintly.

"Really?" he breathed, surprised. "Why?"

"Basically, Simon is not gonna stop Lok, no matter what we do" dad answered, looking at him, his expression troubled. "And even with all those deals, he's not long for this world."

The heavy sadness and regret in his voice made Lok sigh; Simon, his dad, and Metz... they'd all been friends once. "But, we could use the Amulet of Will, dad" he said carefully, much as he hated to suggest it. "We could find it here, cure him..."

Dad closed his eyes, but his expression didn't change. "Simon and I have searched for it, ever since he and the three Legendary Titans came here thanks to Overlos, but we've been unable to find it" he said, quiet. "And we don't have time to waste."

Lok slowly made a sound, knowing his dad had a point.

"Also-"

Lok looked up.

His dad was grim. "I've thought long and hard on if I wanted that, son" he continued, serious. "On if it was still possible to bring him over, that he was still in there. For ten years, while Simon has been degenerating both physically and mentally due to the curse, his lust for power and control grew... he wouldn't want to be saved. And even if we did remove the curse, those qualities would remain."

"...he's no longer the friend you knew" Lok breathed, faint. "So, you want to put him out of his misery."

Dad slowly sighed. "I don't _want_ to, but- yes."

To say it conflicted him (both of them) was putting it mildly, but still...

"If you don't mind, dad, that's not gonna prevent us from trying to find another way" Lok added, in an attempt to lighten things up. "If anything comes up, that we think has a chance, we'll consider it. Okay?"

Dad slowly looked at him, then nodded. "Thank you, Lok" he said, in a softer tone, putting a hand on his shoulder.

For Lok's part, he was glad on multiple levels, not the least of which was that his dad was here, physically - he smiled a bit, touching his hand to dad's, showing he understood.

Then dad half-turned, gesturing back to camp. "Now, shall we?"

"Let's."

A minute + one mundane walk later, they were standing in front of the team:

"So, Lok, what's the plan?" Sophie asked.

"Well, it's uh, basically - take the fight straight to the Professor" he said, fairly bluntly, to the same surprise he'd been expecting. "Though for the record, Dad himself suggested it."

Zhalia slowly raised an eyebrow, her expression seeming to suggest she'd been about to snark at the 'plan', but the fact that Eathon himself suggested it meant this should be good. Den and Sophie shared a look, seemingly something about having expected anything but that, and not sure what to say about it (in different ways). Cathy looked very conflicted at that, not saying anything, but still kept her pack shouldered. Lok understood all these reactions, but felt bad for his sister; it was enough being part of one major battle, and now to hear another was planned?

"If I may ask, old friend-" Cherit said, flying around until he landed on Eathon's shoulder. "Why that plan?"

Eathon slowly sighed. "Basically, because Simon won't stop, and I no longer believe he might be able to be saved" he said slowly, carefully.

"Mmh, he is an extreme fellow, but the fighting makes me sad."

"Me too, Cherit."

Sophie stepped forward. "You sure about this, sir?" she asked.

Dad slowly nodded, before looking around at all of them. "I am" he announced. "However, before we implement the plan, I must consider the exact range of spells and Titans each of you possess - an estimate of our power, overall."

...

"Hmm" Eathon breathed, looking over their assortment of Titans, laid out on the ground, organized by Seeker. Even as he thought, he worked with his Holotome, which despite considerable wear-and-tear, was still operating relatively well. Thus far, not including Eathon's, they had thirty-seven Titan amulets between them, with Cherit bringing that number up to thirty-eight. This included nine Powerbonded Titans currently, and three Legendary Titans, one of which was included in the Powerbonded area.

"What do you think, dad?" Lok asked, beside Sophie (who's gaze remained on the amulets). "Will our Titans plus yours be enough?"

Eathon was silent a moment longer, before glancing up. "They are a strong force, no doubt about it" he said.

"But against these powered-up Legendary Titans" Zhalia said, drawing their attention. "They may not be enough; I still remember how easily they beat mine and Den's small force" she continued.

Eathon looked at her, but wasn't offended by the interruption. "Even in this powered-up state, they are strong, but the lack of apparent effort wasn't because of that" he said carefully. "And I should know; I observed your little confrontation."

Little expressions of surprise all around, but Zhalia raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening" she said, interested.

"Yeah, me too" Den added, wanting to figure out how they'd been beaten so easily... well, easier-than-usual, at least from what he understood about these guys.

"If your Titans had been able to move and defend, as normal, then they would have lasted a few more hits" Eathon said, looking around their group. "They couldn't because the Professor used Shadowlock numerous times."

Everyone but Cathy (who hadn't heard of that spell yet) was shocked. "But, only The Betrayer has been able to use that spell" Sophie said in disbelief. "How did the Professor learn it in here!?"

"My guess is" Eathon said grimly. "He was given the spell, by the Blood Spirals."

More shock to go around, though Cathy just sorta observed all this - Cherit said something about only the bigger specifics mattering, to help her through her confusion. To that, Cathy slowly nodded, then appeared to mutter something under her breath several times - it might have been 'one step at a time'.

"What gives!? Is the Professor part of the Blood Spirals now?" Den asked, angry at the thought.

"No, I don't think so, Den" Lok said, looking at him, hand rubbing at this temple. "Remember, the Professor wants world domination, essentially - and he's smart enough to know that the Blood Spirals simply want the world destroyed, and little else."

"So instead of being part of them, he's a willing participant, using them up till the point where he betrays them" Zhalia mused. "Much like I might have done before..." she slowly added, but more to herself - Eathon made a barely-noticeable flicker in her direction at the words.

"Come on, Zhalia, that was in the past" Lok said, mildly pushing her shoulder, to the woman's surprise. "You're with us now."

"Willing or not, this is still very bad" Sophie answered, likely before this got off-topic. "The Professor working with the Blood Spirals means trouble for all of us."

"Indeed it does, Sophie" Eathon agreed, before slowly digging around. "That's why I proposed we take the fight to him; we need to end this, one way or the other."

"So, uh, do we have enough, dad?" Cathy asked, surprising Lok (who looked playfully indignant AND surprised that she'd taken his line - well, she was his sister).

Eathon took a moment before answering, pulling out three amulets, which they all noted with varying interest. Den didn't recognize them, but he _did_ notice one of those was actually a ring- another Legendary Titan?

"Is that all you have, sir?" Sophie asked, apparently without thinking.

Eathon wasn't offended; "Well, Simon's betrayal caught me at a really bad time" he said carefully, due to the memory. "Aside from the amulets I left for Lok to find, and _really_ bad luck, I only had Jirwolf with me when I first came here" he said, picking up one amulet in particular, which Den could only assume was this Jirwolf he just mentioned. "I got the other two in my time here, and both took some effort - however, I admit I was more focused on survival and research than building up my forces."

Judging from Sophie's expression, she was a bit put-off at his lack of Titans. Den kinda was as well, but he had to suppose that being stranded in another dimension, survival took priority over everything else, in addition to the 'running from The Professor' angle. Kinda hard to bond with Titans when anything flashy might draw attention. Still, if saw that mildly troubled look right, Sophie wasn't done on the subject just yet...

"And as for the question" Eathon continued, making a sound. "We have enough for an attack, certainly... but our chances aren't entirely good. Somewhere between slim and half."

"Oh dear" Cherit breathed from Cathy's shoulder, drawing her attention a bit. "They must be strong indeed."

"What about getting more Titans, dad? You did say the situation wasn't urgent yet."

Eathon smiled a bit. "You read my mind, Lok" he said without looking, but meaning it. "And in fact, I may just know where to start-"

Before he could finish though, Eathon grunted, clutching at his arm - where red energy was thrumming, and the Spiral Mark had appeared! Even as they reacted to this, Eathon reached his other hand toward it, with a sort-of weary experience. _"Curselock"_ he said, grunting as the green energy consumed the area again, working to get rid of it.

Den looked at his own right arm, where the mark had yet to resurface. "Well, least I'll know when it comes back" he said, grimly satisfied.

"And don't hesitate to tell me when it does, Den, and you as well Zhalia" Eathon added, lightly scratching at the spot on his arm. "And anyway, I believe you'd be interested to know there are three Legendary Titans relatively nearby, that could be of help."

"Really?" Sophie and Lok asked at the same time, to their surprise (he sheepishly backed off, nodding her to go on). "What are they, sir?"

"I can explain on the way" Eathon said, before standing up, stretching his arms. "Everyone here know _Hyperstride_ or _Nimblefire_?"

"I have _Shadowspeed_ ; works just fine" Zhalia said, while everyone save Cathy nodded, standing up after a few moments.

"I-I'm still having trouble with that one, dad" Cathy said, embarrassed.

From her shoulder, Cherit chimed in with a cheerful "Don't worry, Cathy, you'll get it!"

Eathon merely smiled a bit, going to place a hand on her shoulder. "In that case, you can hang onto me while I do so" he said, to her massive surprise.

* * *

 _About the same time_

"How did I get paired up with you again, Dante?"

"Just lucky?" he said mildly, looking around from the top of a branch.

On the ground some twenty feet away, Lucas glanced back, but otherwise continued to observe the landscape through his binoculars.

Either way, differences in personality aside, the scouting was going well - prime opportunity for _something_ to go wrong, as it always tried to. For now though, Dante simply preferred to watch the world before him, which remained impressive. And he'd seen a number of Titans go by, from the flying type Icarus, to a number of what seemed to be territorial matches. The one that caught his eye most was the one between a Lindorm and a Feyone - he initially thought of Lok's, who'd been absorbed into Legion. However, this Lindorm couldn't be Lok's- it wasn't Powerbonded.

 _"Then again, how can I say with any confidence how things work here"_ he thought, smiling a bit. _"Maybe Powerbondings only show up in our world. Who knows?"_

Still, it was his instinct that the Lindorm he saw below wasn't Lok's, just by looking at it's movements and attitude. Call it an understanding-

Dante moved slightly.

Something wasn't right...

He looked in Lucas's direction, who remained completely undisturbed, and hadn't tensed - but just because he didn't see something didn't mean anything. He listened carefully, looking around slowly...

 _Creak_

Dante jumped-

The branch sliced off where he'd been standing, a sharp _crack_ going through the air, and a crash when the branch landed.

He back-flipped through the air, landing nimbly beside Lucas, who had whirled around; clinging to the bark was a Hitokiri, glowering at him through it's Oni mask, the sword having obviously swung through the bark. In the meantime, whatever spell that concealed them was disappearing, revealing dozens of Blood Spiral soldiers and numerous Titans. From his initial glance, they included a number of Marauders, Nightlurkers, a Midnight Rook, Shadow Kulit, and two Dark Pharaohs.

"Blood Spirals!" Lucas cursed, teeth clenched. "How did they follow us _here_?"

"We'll figure that out later" he said grimly, already holding up an amulet. "For now, we fight. _Come out and play, Caliban!_ "

Beside him, at nearly the exact same time, Lucas had stepped forward. _"Incinerate them, Seraphim!"_

Seconds passed, both teams suspicious of the other, while he and Lucas prepared themselves to hold their ground until help arrived... however, two lights came at them really fast.

What luck they had today.

Caliban was first-

Masked, fiercely armored, he flourished his energy sword with practiced movements, the light glinting off his golden armor spikes. Behind him, long flowing hair grew past his waist, but it only completed his appearance instead of diminishing it. Caliban hefted his sword, observing the enemies gathered in front of him very carefully.

"It's been far too long, my friend" he said, at the ready. "Shall we clean house together?"

It was impossible to mistake Caliban's agreement.

What appeared next was a highly angelic humanoid, six (literal) fiery wings concealing the bulk of it's body, underneath which was a barely-concealed golden radiance. It's head also remained hidden, a close-fitting ring of fire shielding all but it's chin and mouth, but it's arms remained free. In one hand it held a golden spear longer than itself, half as big in thickness, yet just thin enough to grip in the middle. The other arm remained free, but golden bracers and other armor implied there was more to it's fist.

Powerbonded Seraphim floated beside Caliban, it's mere presence lighting the area up, even if only slightly.

 _"An angel, huh"_ Dante thought, observing this in the one sec before things were sure to go haywire. He remembered them from the legends, not as they appeared in fiction now; they were warriors of God, and their higher forms were terrible to behold, even to other angels. Exactly why the Seraphim covered themselves behind fiery wings. Or so the legend went; perhaps this Titan had inspired some of it, as others tended to do.

 _"Still, fairly appropriate"_ he added, glancing at Lucas briefly.

Then of course, things went haywire: _"Bladewave!"_ the lead (and only) Casterwill Hunter aimed at him. Rather than back away, Dante moved forward, side-stepping it with practiced ease, Caliban moving with the same agility on the other side. This got him generally surrounded of course, but he wasn't worried - at least half went past him, aiming for Lucas. Well, couldn't get them all to himself anymore-

 _"Augerfrost!" - "Newfury!"_

 _"Overshield!"_ he called, blocking the attacks, even as Caliban fought off a Nightlurker trying to clamp down on him. Casting a quick glance at this, he put himself in the same position, back-to-back. "Caliban, activate Mirror Fight!" Dante called, blue energy enveloping them both. _"And be ready to switch it on a dime-"_

So, their sight now one, the two of them threw off Nightlurker together. Then they ran forward together, moving in perfect sync - he raised his arm, blocking the hit of a Psikofen with Caliban's arm, and simultaneously dodging the attempted Poisonfang from a soldier; _"Raypulse!"_ he blasted behind him, Caliban having directed his own arm to aim; a moment where Caliban's sword was forced out of his hands by Psikofen's chains; then both Seeker and Titan grabbed their opponent and physically flung him.

"Off" Dante called, the energy fading. _"Hyperstride!"_ he called again, moving forward and underneath two Soldiers, kicking them both in the back with a fancy kick. Caliban grabbed Psikofen's chains, dragging him forward as he grabbed his sword, before offhandedly slicing into Midnight Rook.

...

Some thirty feet away now, Lucas blocked several Nullcurses with Honorguard, grunting before he struck out: _"Kindlestrike!"_ , managing to hit one, but still roughly a dozen remained. Behind him, Seraphim blasted the two Dark Pharaohs with a virtual flamethrower from his left arm - but the two Titans were blocking with their Sandstorm ability, the collision of energies creating fragile, brittle pieces of glass flying out in the process. He had to keep low whenever he could, as they were slicing him at every opportunity. However, even as Seraphim kept this stalemate up, he quickly moved to the side, avoiding where the Kulit's shadow-sword would have hit his own.

Glancing back, Lucas quickly swept his leg under two soldiers, knocking them to the ground and releasing their hold on him. Resolving to end this now, regardless of the energy cost, he held out his hands: _"Chainreact"_ he cast, a orange glow covering himself in a thick shield, which remained. _"Doublespell! Sunlock!"_

The energy fluctuated within his 'shield'... then instead of two, four shot out, racing at tremendous speed.

 _"Doublespell! Sunlock!"_ he cast again.

With Chainreact in effect, he had eight Sunlocks operating at the same time, writhing together like a many-headed snake... except these snakes were already striking. Two snared the downed soldiers before they even had a chance to look - many backed away in shock, to no avail - one even tried to run, but not only did Sunlock tie him up and gag him, it dragged him back across the ground. Working, he controlled them to gather the still-conscious Blood Spirals into a circle, binding the separate spells to each other, making sure they couldn't escape. When he was finished, everything but the actual restraints of Sunlock faded away.

He had to work _hard_ to stop his arms from shaking, or fall to his knees. Breathing heavily, sweating just as much, he ignored this enough to glance behind him...

Seraphim speared through one of the Sand Sweeps, but missed the actual Titan, allowing it to move behind him. The second Dark Pharaoh moved quickly in front of him, then both of them created vortexes, with Seraphim in the middle of them. Just off to the side, Shadow Kulit had been knocked down (and singed) by a previous attack, but was getting up-

Lucas raised his hand, which shook despite himself. _"Kindlestrike"_ he breathed with effort.

The spell blasted Shadow Kulit, but due to his weakened energy, it didn't have that big an effect. The Titan ignored him and moved closer, and Lucas saw they were about to be within a small area-

 _"Do it now."_

Seraphim got the message, and despite being in the middle of two vortexes, suddenly became very still... then fire erupted from the ground. The three enemy Titans noticed this too late, and were trapped; the fire swirled around them, faster and faster until it became a virtual tornado. Despite the rush of air being sucked in by the wall of flame, their shadows remained visible through it, the Titans trying to break through. All through-out it, Seraphim remained perfectly still, before two glowing eyes appeared, along with the shadows of six wings being unfolded...

Even through the literal firewall, the light was blinding - but he'd expected this, a hand held up to shield his eyes.

 _"That's the power of his true form"_ he thought, grimly satisfied.

When the light and fire faded, the three Titans had returned to their downed owners. Seraphim appeared before him, shielded by the fire - however, the Titan instantly returned, making him groan.

 _"A shame it's range is so short"_ Lucas thought, looking at the amulet again, which began to grey over, the red jewel set inside much duller than before. Using that special ability forced him back in, and he could not be called again for awhile; such was his price for using that ability.

He clutched the amulet, looking behind him, where Dante was still fighting... however, he did notice an exploded Boltflare in the sky, marking their position.

...

 _"Dragonfist!"_

Hit in the head, the Marauder he'd been wrestling with went down, allowing him some breathing room. "Sleep tight" he said to it lightly, before looking back. Caliban was being ganged-up on the last two Nightlurkers, with Marauder trying to flank them - and with their other soldiers down, had no guidance but instinct.

 _"Hyperstride"_ Dante called, jumping up to the rocks just beside one Nightlurker, which he touched a hand to. _"Copykind"_ he said quickly, before he literally disappeared, before Nightlurker could even see who did that.

Caliban took this opportunity to kick the Titan aside, then the other one clamped his sword in it's teeth, the two Titans staring at each intensely. However, Caliban raised his other fist and pummeled him into the ground, yanking his sword out. Then Caliban raised it high, tip pointing downward... Marauder saw Nightlurker's demise, but was still trying to catch Dante, who'd blast him from one direction, then disappear, using Nightlurker's borrowed Shadow Ambush ability.

 _"Augerfrost!"_

Marauder backed away from the spell, but nearly caught him the next time. Dante felt Caliban ready to assist him, but through their mental bond, he also saw the other Nightlurker sneaking up on him - but only the Titan's eyes moved, when he felt this.

 _"Bubblelift!"_

Marauder tensed, but to it's confusion, the spell did not form around him - then again, he hadn't been his target. Just as it realized Nightlurker was it's target (with a screech and everything), Caliban rushed forward, sword raised high... and Marauder returned to it's downed owner, who was the furthest away. Then when the spell ended for Nightlurker, it found Dante and Caliban side-by-side in front of it. _"Mirror Fight"_ he said with satisfaction, drawing his fist back, just as Caliban did exactly. _"Dragonfist!"_

Through their bond, Caliban's hand cackled with energy, just as his did.

The double assault sent the Titan flying, right into a burst of light, returning to it's owner.

Using Caliban's senses, Dante determined first if there were anymore threats nearby (none), and also if Lucas's battle was still going on. However, it wasn't, so he smiled a bit as he ended the Mirror Fight. "Well played, my friend" he said with approval, despite the single bead of sweat, Caliban slowly nodding his head toward him. Then he held out his amulet, "Take a good rest."

A sec later, as Caliban returned elsewhere: "Hmm, a bit of a showoff, aren't you?"

Dante turned, seeing Lucas walking toward him, though a bit uneasily and exhausted- and dragging the soldiers with him. "And your Sunlock demonstration, impressive as it was, wasn't showing off?" he pointed out.

"I just aimed to end the fight" Lucas snapped, mostly because of the exhaustion - he let go of the Sunlocked Soldiers with a grunt. "These Blood Spirals are really getting on my nerves, coming after my family to this extreme!"

He processed this, but let it slide. "It is troubling, Lucas" he admitted carefully. "However, this still doesn't change our plans; just means we gotta be extra careful."

Still on his exhausted-fueled annoyance, Lucas didn't get the hint. "How can we when the Blood Spirals know how to enter this world without a Nexus?" he questioned, but rhetorically. "It's as if we have a traitor in our midst, again" he said, but mostly to himself this time.

His fingers clenched slightly, having an idea who he might suspect...

However, a sudden flare of pain in Lucas' head distracted him, and didn't continue on that train of thought afterward. For that, Dante was glad, because he was willing to let it slide – still, if he so much as suspected Zhalia out loud, there'd be words between them.

Making a sound, he glanced at the time-via-watch (which was required with the Spirit World's lack of day-and-night cycle). About 10:07 in the morning-

Oh man, he was late; that never went well.

Glancing at Lucas, who otherwise remained quietly annoyed from exhaustion, Dante started walking a short distance away. Making sure he was out of hearing range, he pulled out his Holotome, queuing up a call to Zhalia's. Despite the dimension they resided in, and all those complexities, his Holotome worked perfectly fine. He didn't know how it did this, but he wasn't gonna ask and risk losing that functionality. Took about a minute, but Zhalia answered - her image moving fast, wind whipping at her hair, and otherwise clearly exerting energy.

 _"Not the best time"_ she answered, repeating glancing above the Holotome's image, presumably at where she was going. _"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to hold a Holotome while you're traveling at extended Shadowspeed?"_

"Not a clue" he answered honestly, thinking this must be quite the workout - still, leave it to Zhalia's skill that she could hold one while doing so. "And sorry."

 _"Well, it's not easy"_ she continued, before she slowly became a little self-conscious, fully realized they were talking now. To cover it: _"And you're late, Dante"_ Zhalia snarked.

"Well, something came up" he said faintly, slowly angling his Holotome to aim right at Lucas' Sunlocked soldiers, some double-digit feet away from him.

 _"Why am I not surprised?"_ came her answer.

He made a sound, turning the Holotome back around. "I believe that lack of surprise is related to 'the Blood Spirals knowing our every move' issue?" he asked, watching carefully.

 _"It is"_ Zhalia said, grim. _"We recently found out the Blood Spirals can manipulate their Spiral Marks, allowing them to listen in on anyone who has them. That's how they kept finding us; through Den and myself."_

Dante slowly sighed, seeing the pieces fall together. "And through that, all the specs of the Nexual portal spell when I briefed you" he said wearily, looking back for a moment. "Is there anything you can do?"

 _"Well, 'I' can't do anything about the Blood Spiral's current knowledge, but they can no longer hear us per se. The solution is temporary, but it's been taken care of"_ she said, now mild. _"By Eathon Lambert, who's had a similar problem."_

'Similar problem' made him raise an eyebrow, very interested, but he still smiled. "Hey, that's great news" Dante said simply, earnestly. "And about time you guys found him."

 _"When the next portal opens up, I gotta send a messenger back to Sandra..."_ he thought to himself. However, immediately after he thought that, he tensed-

-Harrison had been marked by the Blood Spirals as well.

"Zhalia, can you connect me to Eathon?" he asked intently. "Whatever he's done to stall that mark, I need to know too, because Harrison's here with us at the beachhead."

 _"Understood."_

Still, he was definitely gonna have to mention this to Lucas; it solved his traitor suspicions nicely, especially since they couldn't have known their marks would act like this.

/

Far, far away, Solwing slowly picked at his wing, getting pieces of rubble and debris out of it. However, even as he did so, his yellow eyes remained on the horizon, where a pinprick of light flickered continuously. Quite a distance to fly... but the light's pattern were very familiar.

* * *

 _Beginning of night_

"Oi... Lok, remember when I complained that it wasn't a fight, it was a marathon?"

"*coughing once* yeah?"

"Well it seems like either we're out-of-shape, or this was even more grueling than that time."

"Ahh... well, I think it's that last one... at least last time we were going downhill, so gravity helped. Here we fought against it for a good stretch... and traveled longer than back then."

Sophie slowly settled against the stump of a dead tree, exhausted, Lok slowly doing the same nearby. At the newest campsite itself, Zhalia and Den were only slightly better off than she was, but were recovering. Eathon was slightly worse, as he had been carrying Cathy for the entire Hyperstride stretch, but he'd still kept himself very fit due to surviving – after that, they all walked together. Cherit himself had flown most of the way, but his exhaustion seemed only marginal, as their walking had allowed him to slow down without tearing his wings off (in his own words), along with rest on their shoulders. The good news was that they'd covered more than three-fourths of the trip to their first destination.

If this was nearby, they'd need to redefine the word, because that was still hours away. In Eathon's defense, when he said nearby, he meant relative to each other. _"The first stretch to their locations is the hardest"_ he'd said to them.

At that first part though, she wondered what kind of Titans they were - Eathon didn't want to spoil it though, and wouldn't say anything, except for the title of the first one; Legendary Titan of Intelligence.

Hmm...

And anyway, after a few minutes or so, the general exhaustion went away - though they were still in no shape for anything extended. Across from her, Den slowly picked at where his Blood Spiral mark had been - he must still be worried about it, she thought. Maybe the magic had been reapplied earlier, but enduring that seeming electric jolt every day, as much as twice a day? Not something she'd look forward to, even if it was necessary...

"Den, Cherit, can you be lookouts in that tree? At least for an hour? I want to make sure there are no surprises, least while we're at our weakest."

"Ah, sure sir - and that works out; I can actually use my arms instead."

"At least it's not a huge climbing distance; I can climb up with claws as well."

"Hehe, that's the spirit, Cherit."

Sophie slowly smiled, watching as Eathon nodded at this, patting Den's shoulder even as they ran/flew off (twenty feet, that was; the tree was close by). "This should come as no surprise" she breathed softly, drawing Lok's attention, where she glanced at him. "But I can see where you got all your qualities from, Lok."

He slowly smiled. "Probably not _all_ of them" he said, but soft, his hand slowly inching onto hers; she interlocked them together.

"But quite a lot."

"Hmm."

Even as she looked, Eathon talked with Cathy - she definitely seemed better now than she had been. After all, all they'd done for the past stretch of hours was travel, allowing Cathy's shock to die down, and her curiosity to abound (not to mention the family constantly asking/talking with their father; what else did you expect?). Zhalia discreetly set up near the campfire, but in a way that wouldn't intrude on the family - there was a slight creak as Den nearly slipped on a branch, but he pulled himself up, Cherit encouraging him.

Sophie slowly leaned against him. "And though I haven't realized it till recently, your happiness was contagious" she said, slowly moving her free hand up his arm. By a slight jolt, he noted this, but otherwise did nothing (yet).

"I might have worried if it wasn't" Lok answered, almost mild, but his own free hand slightly toyed with the ends of her hair. Without realizing it, her cheeks turned pink, just a little. "And how could I not be? How could Cathy not be? We finally found dad again, after so long! I can only imagine how mom's gonna react when we show up on her front door."

She slowly giggled. "She'll probably turn white, or another symptom of big shock" she said, before slowly looking at Lok, who noticed this. "And then promptly throw her arms around him, and do this-"

She kissed him, rather hard, much to his muffled surprise - still, he managed to return it at the last second.

He made a sound, happy and surprised. "Wow Sophie, you really got into that acting" he said, fairly playful, but mostly soft.

Normally, she might/would have been playfully annoyed at that... however, she remained smiling a bit, her free hand slowly working it's way onto his chest.

That quickly got his attention. "Or not" Lok said faintly, slowly, looking at her differently... before he slowly breathed out. "How is it _you're_ the one with the 'moods', and I'm the one who's surprised by the sudden affection?" he asked, in playful disbelief. Despite that however, he was very slowly getting himself ready to stand up.

"I have no idea" Sophie answered, easily standing up with him, one pair of hands remaining interlocked. "Perhaps I'm- well, loosening up on this. I don't know myself yet."

A slight hum, then a little smile: "Well, we also don't know if you're gonna have this mood, enjoy it, and then suddenly become unsure in the middle" he said, half-playfully, both of them slowly walking. "Like last time."

"I really hope not myself- I mean seriously, you were right, least a little; there is nothing wrong when it's private and controlled. How did I take so long to figure that out?"

"Your 'prim and proper' upbringing?"

"Oh, the air-quotes again. Hilarious."

"What? I'm serious."

...

 _"What? I'm serious."_

Somehow that was just like her little bro, despite how soft he was saying it - not like the playful indignation that normally followed.

"I wondered if perhaps I shouldn't have said something."

A little jolted, Cathy looked at her dad, who was discreetly observing her bro and Sophie walking off together, hand-in-hand. She wasn't quite sure what to say about that; he did have the right to say something, but interrupting potential romance (of ANY kind) didn't seem like the good idea...

Cathy might have been about to say that, before:

"I wouldn't worry about it, Eathon."

They both looked over at Zhalia, who was pitching the tents, as was her turn.

The woman merely shrugged. "Lok and Sophie were acting like a couple months before anything happened, literally" she snarked, but with a touch of playfulness, before it faded. "And nearly the entire time, it was a non-assumed relationship, of sorts... they know each other pretty well, and aren't likely to do anything rash without thinking it through."

Then Zhalia chuckled. " _Whatever_ they're doing. And _especially_ if I know Sophie" she finished, before following up on the tent.

Her dad slowly laughed, surprising Cathy. "Perhaps she's right, Cathy" he admitted, looking at her. "Despite everything, I know Sandra; she would never allow Lok or you to not think things through, especially about serious stuff."

Cathy slowly smiled. "And he does think them through, dad" she said, remembering back. "Little stinker there made sure that I started with the basics, when they introduced me to this world - well, after I dealt with the initial shock. He didn't mean for all these big shocks..."

The softness of his expression at 'stinker' was making all the difference. "As Lok told me, he also tried to run away from this world, when he was first introduced to it" he said gently, hand on her shoulder. "He tried running away from a small-scale Seeker battle - you however, dealt with a strong, if terrible, full-on battle situation, and you managed to hold on. Even when you were shaking like a leaf. For that, I'm very proud of you, just as I am with Lok."

"W-Well, I don't know how well I took it" she stammered, but feeling warm nonetheless... though there was a 'little' extra in there, deep down; she'd wanted this encouragement when she'd been growing up. Still: "I-I was just overwhelmed... at least twice."

He clapped her shoulder, before letting go. "You still held your ground" he said simply, gently.

Cathy slowly looked down, breathing out. "Was-" she whispered, working a little, then: "Was it hard for mom? Fighting, and all that?"

His attention already on her, he nonetheless became slightly animated, thinking about mom. "Cathy, in terms of your understanding nature, you are truly the spitting image of your mother" dad said, almost overcome with emotion. "She struggled through exactly what you're feeling right now; that she understands these Titans, these people, be they good or evil, and the very thought of hurting them is almost too much to bear. Defending is one thing, but intentionally attacking?"

"How did she get through it?" she asked, intent.

He slowly shook his head. "She never did" he said, still soft. "No matter how much experience she gained, or training, it was always hard for Sandra. I can fairly vouch that to this day, it's always pained her to hurt others intentionally in battle."

She looked down, worried, before back up. "But- but there were ways to help" she asked, simultaneously reluctant and determined. "Maybe I won't ever get used to it either, or want to, but, I don't want to let this team down! Or you dad!"

"You haven't; you've done as well as could be expected, if not more" he answered, mild, but still smiled. "But there were a few that worked for her, Cathy."

"Yes?"

"One was protectiveness" he said gently, glancing up. "The logic was that enemies could attack her, myself, or anyone else she cared about. If she didn't attack them, even if just to distract, they could hurt us, or worse."

"Well, maybe I can do that" Cathy said slowly. Would take a little (or a lot of) adjusting, but she could do that, she felt...

"Two, and harder, was remembering that these are enemies, and so aren't worth her perceptiveness" dad continued, before slowly looking at her. "I believe you can imagine that one was trouble" he added.

"Yeah... kinda."

"And three" dad continued again, though a bit more subdued this time. "Using anger... it tended to help put indecisiveness to the side, and allow her to attack, even if she had to fake it."

"...I- I didn't think anger would be one of them" Cathy whispered, unsure, and a little shocked. "We're the good guys, aren't we?"

"We like to think ourselves that, but I know what you mean" he said carefully, drawing her attention, while he looked inward. "Using our anger that way feels wrong, even if it works... however, sometimes situations demand we do what we must, whether we like it or not. I've had to improvise more than a few times, attack while their backs are turned, and so on..."

Then dad looked at her. "For your mother, it got results when it worked" he said, before slowly smiling a little. "Awesome results, but she was never entirely comfortable with the idea, just as I think you aren't, Cathy."

"T-That's an understatement..." she breathed, arms around herself.

He nodded slightly. "But not to worry; no one is forcing you to do so" he assured. "It is merely a suggestion, for you to decide upon. And also-"

She glanced at him, and his smile softened.

"I fell in love with your mother because of that soft and understanding nature, not how awesome she was in the field" he continued, before getting a twinkle in his eyes. "Though that last part certainly helped a little."

Cathy slowly laughed, and suddenly couldn't stop, holding herself against her dad. Her dad, who was back! She was crying as well, but she was far more happy than anything.

"Who cares if this seeming-fantasy dimension has freaked me out a few times?" she wondered out loud, still laughing a little. "We got you back, dad..."

He held her close, with strong arms. "Does this mean you'll stay and help?" he asked.

"Yeah... yeah, I think so" she breathed. "I also don't think I'll ever stop being overwhelmed until we're really back home, but, I-I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, or my little brother."

"That's my girl."

...

High above, Den heard this scene, and had to admit, he was really touched.

 _"It's a lot like when me and Harrison reconnected"_ he thought, a little proud. _"Though admittedly with not as much hugging or crying... maybe when this is done, I'll go to the Huntik beachhead and apologize for the play-fight bruises."_

"Ah, that's so beautiful!"

Den smiled a bit, holding the binoculars close to him. "Family moments are usually like that, Cherit" he said, looking at the Titan on his shoulder. "Big or small."

"I can see that" the Titan said cheerfully, before tilting his head. "I just worry about Cathy; she's still so unsure about battling in general. Even with Eathon's advice, her instincts are the exact opposite of battle ones."

Den acknowledged this, looking down at the family scene below. "Well, I should tell you something, Cherit" he admitted. "Lok himself realized that we couldn't force Cathy to attack against her will. And also, having her as a defender might not be such a bad thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, look at our enemies, and their tactics" he explained, glancing at his right arm, which satisfyingly remained 'bare' for now. "If we have another member of the team, even temporarily, help us with our defense, we'll gain more opportunities to attack, or improvise, or whatever it is we have to do."

"Hmm" Cherit considered. "That's a good plan."

"I certainly hope she does it justice" Den said, not adding how unsure he was that he communicated that style to Cathy the right way... leading didn't seem to be his style. Even as he thought this though, something made him uneasy-

Even as Cherit responded, somewhere below the tree, something observed them and the campsite from heavily-concealed bushes. It lingered for a moment, then backed away slowly, the brush moving but making no noise...

/

"Mmm-"

A small break, where they caught their breath, and Sophie breathed against Lok's neck. "Is it just me, or has it been a long time since our last session?" she whispered, feeling her heart beating fast.

A moment, then he kissed her hair. "It _feels_ like a long time, but it still depends" he whispered back. "If you count that little 'incident', then it wasn't too long ago, even if we did nothing new. If however, you mean the 'actual' last session-"

"Where I did this" she breathed in response, touching her fingers to his muscles, underneath his shirts - Lok jolted in surprise.

"-yeah, that, and other things" Lok breathed, surprised/pleased, plus smaller things. "And Sophie, we haven't even said what is/isn't allowed" he continued, almost chiding.

Probably payback for all the times she'd taken up that tone.

She still made a sound, removing her fingers, even as she lay sideways facing him. "It's still nothing below-the-waist, period" she said, with a slight blush.

He smiled a bit, un-surprised. "Well, duh" he breathed, before: "And I'm still allowing underneath my shirts, luckily for you (she smirked a little). Not sure what I think about taking them off though."

She slowly leaned forward, kissing him, which he returned easily. "Sorta like me" she admitted. "I mean, me taking yours off."

"H-Huh?"

Blushing hard, she pulled him against her, to his surprise. "I'm not saying it again, Lok" she said, embarrassed.

Nothing from him, not even an 'uh', but he did hold her close - perhaps he was thinking quickly.

Still, when they looked at each other, that quickly lead to a short kiss. "I never would have thought you'd have this side to you" he admitted softly, his breath hot against her face.

"Neither would I."

He held her closer during that last part. "Surprising, definitely - but not really wrong" he said, extra soft against her neck now before he got closer-

"Ah!"

She held him even closer instinctively, keeping his mouth on her neck, left side, squirming a little but liking his affections.

* * *

"What exactly is the point of letting the Silent Soldiers be captured in this fashion, Shauna? If we attacked as an entire force, we would have crushed them!"

"Crushed them?" she said quietly, about to step forward and likely tear Kiel in two, except Wind restrained her (and she actually allowed this). "Has nothing I said about underestimating our enemies gotten through that dim brain of yours!?"

"I still say-!"

"You would go against The Betrayer's orders!?"

Kiel gritted his teeth. "That's the part I don't understand" he said, even angrier. "Why does he throw away good minions!?"

"Because little-by-little, the Huntik Foundation will have to divide their resources, leaving more people to defend the seemingly defeated prisoners in their camp" she said, before smirking. "But even if not to the degree we anticipate, it is all part of the plan."

"How-!?"

"They lie in wait, Kiel" she interrupted, further enraging Kiel. "And their orders plan them to wait, until the time is right. Now get out of my face!"

It took quite some time, and much teeth-gnashing, but Kiel walked away with a huff. He ignored/did not see the way his anger made parts of the landscape around them twist and distort from his emotions.

Watching this, Murdock slowly spoke up. "If this plan involves making Kiel angrier by the day, you're succeeding" he noted, sorta deadpan.

Shauna turned to him, but instead of irritation at his question, she smirked even bigger. "Yes, it is" she said with satisfaction. "Anger loosens the restraint, and lowers the defenses."

With that cryptic remark, she walked off, Wind following after she ordered 'Come!'

Murdock watched them go, not sure what she meant... but clearly, he was gonna have to deal with Kiel's increasing anger state if he wanted his limbs intact. _How_ he was gonna tolerate it was a good question. Least he had the entire Spirit World to distract him though - speaking of which, they were here, but they were still to wait for now. But for what; what was their game? First they harass one team in particular, then goad them into coming here by a full-scale assault... what was the endgame?

For a moment, he tried to wonder, then shook his head; frankly, he was lucky he got reasons behind their previous actions, after the fact. There was very little chance he'd get hints about the upcoming ones, let alone the full scale.

Either way, if it lead to more destruction like the attack on Venice, he'd be all for it; then he could really cut loose.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Yes Dante, it's been far too long lol - and things continue to build up on both sides.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	16. Twists and Turns

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **In the Spirit World, Lok and his team discuss their strategies with Eathon Lambert, who suggests a direct assault. However, they lack the power for an even fight at this time, and so they set out to recover three new Legendary Titans at his advice. Dante Vale and the Huntik Foundation establish a beachhead in the Spirit World, but they are not alone. Dante and Lucas repel a Blood Spiral skirmish, capturing several of their Silent Soldiers - however, things are not as they appear, as the elite members of the Blood Spiral are generally unconcerned about this matter.**

* * *

 _"Twists and Turns"_

 _Episode 68_

* * *

 _Spirit World_

"Even you're not impressed, Grier? Even on the outside?"

"Eh, you know me Dante; not a big emote person."

"Nah, I know better than that" he answered.

The two of them chuckled, looking across the beachhead together - even as they watched, work continued, and a number kept watch over the disgruntled (and utterly bored) Silent Soldier captives. "Still, I don't believe there's a Seeker alive who isn't freaking out about this discovery" he continued, smiling. "At least in some way."

"Yes, and I'm tingling" Grier said, mild as well, but rhetorically. "But there's also a reason why I'm here."

"And we're searching, Grier, but this is a big place."

His friend grunted slightly, but didn't answer that.

Still, despite all the work going on, and the friendly interactions behind those who knew each other, there was a certain level of awkwardness in the camp. Not a year ago, the Organization and the Huntik Foundation couldn't have been more different, and now they were working together. Some hadn't fully adjusted, but were kept together by the orders of those above them. Adding the Casterwills into the mix meant if anything broke down, things might get ugly - and they couldn't afford that.

 _"But so far, it's going well"_ Dante noted, seeing a group conversation between Santiago, LeBlanche, Lane, and Dellix. And he also saw an amicable talk going on with Viviane and Harrison, while her guards were currently getting a drink. He also knew Montehue and Tersley were out scouting-

Grier's question brought him back: "Just one thing; what's up with him?"

He looked at where Grier gestured, and saw Lucas currently practicing his movements. "What about him?" he asked.

"He's the older brother of Sophie, correct?" Grier asked, Dante nodding in response. "Basically, does he have a problem with you, Dante?"

He hummed a bit. "Well, I don't think he has anything _specific_ against me" he answered, mild. "But Lucas is a man set in his ways - that his own sister doesn't agree with too much. However, his desire to protect her is stronger than his stubbornness."

"And that conflict turns to anger?"

"Sometimes."

Grier slowly looked at Lucas again, then smirked a little. "I like him" he said, arms crossed. "We're similar that way, being set in our styles."

Dante placed a hand upon his rival's shoulder. "Just make sure you keep the ability to adapt" he said, mildly chiding, to which Grier laughed.

* * *

 _Around the same time_

Lok shivered a bit, quickly pulling on his jacket, before resuming his efforts to freshen up.

Around him, Sophie brushed at her hair, Zhalia tightened her boot, Cherit worked to help Den with a back itch he couldn't reach (don't worry, he was willing), and Cathy rubbed at her arm lightly. All of them, save Cherit and his dad, wore different outfits today, with little extras to help with the sudden change in temperature. And according to dad, the temperature was similarly affected as the landscape was, but luckily to a more limited degree; they couldn't expect truly freezing/boiling temperatures, not instantly or even over the course of a day, at least. Plus, after their major surprise that morning (the landscape had literally changed overnight; Den had nearly been wrapped in a straitjacket of 'earth'), he'd said to expect that a lot.

Still, of course his dad would handle this well, having dealt with it for ten years... but he still warmed his hands by the fire, which they hadn't put out yet.

 _"Ah, let him"_ Lok thought mildly, just content.

Then after a moment, Lok looked over at Sophie, who slowly caught this from the other side of camp. They looked at each other for a little, smiling, then she turned with a slight blush, and his own cheeks were heated.

Yeah turns out, if he built her up long enough, Sophie could be a wild one (in the very mildest sense). Then again, nothing _really_ new happened last night despite this, unless you count touching her stomach and the lowest ribs, briefly on that last one.

"So-"

Lok jolted; Dad had joined him, with an interesting expression.

"-anything 'happen' last night?"

His first instinct was embarrassment, shock and sorta-horror, about to babble anything/everything but that... until he saw the small grin on his dad's face.

 _"Dad!"_ he breathed.

Dad just chuckled, while in the background Cathy heard all this, silently shaking with laughter (hands over her mouth and everything). "Sorry, but since Sandra's not here, I have to be the tough parent and the embarrassing parent at the same time" he said mildly, arms folded.

Lok breathed out, massively relieved that dad was joking (and that Sophie might not have heard this), a little annoyed/embarrassed, but mostly the first thing. "Come on dad, I'm not like that" he protested, showing this. "I wouldn't rush something like that."

"Nor would a woman like Sophie allow it" dad observed, but slightly playful. "As a long-overdue father, I have to disapprove, but as me, I'm perfectly okay - as long as you don't be public about it."

"Definitely have _no_ plans about that!"

"Hehehe."

Then his father turned, seeing the rest of the group was otherwise waiting for them, then turned to the fire. _"Bubblelift"_ Eathon said, the spell forming, really tightly around the flickering flames - and indeed, within seconds, the fire consumed all the oxygen and faded out.

"Not the usual use" Cathy noted with interest, before she made a sound. "At least, from what I've heard."

"Spells can have all kinds of uses, Cathy" Cherit said from Den's shoulder. "Especially the non-attack ones."

Den nodded at this, with a little smile. "And we're learning new spells practically all the time" he added.

"And it's all very fascinating, but you can still talk about it on the way" Zhalia noted, to which Sophie nodded.

Well, she was right, so he made sure everything was packed. "Yeah, so let's go" Lok said, hoisting his pack.

/

One walk later, they'd arrived - despite their slight weariness, the excitement overrode it. However, the first thing that was said was:

"...uh, no offense to the Legendary Titan, but a dolphin?"

Den said almost incredulously, looking down the hill at the lair of the Legendary Titan of Intelligence, who was currently swimming in a lake, the 'water' of which was pure black. However, multiple floating 'targets' were aligned above the lake, the Titan regarding them before he jumped up... however, just before he landed there, there was an unusual ripple effect, and he _disappeared_ without a splash. Then he reappeared on the other side of the lake, bouncing a ball up and down with it's tail, apparently planning on playing with it (and the targets).

The Titan itself, as he'd observed, had a very close dolphin figure, twice as large as your average human adult. Instead of the normal pale blues and grays, this one was a shade of black, like that 'killer' variant, almost indistinguishable from the water.

He and the team slowly looked at each other. Eathon himself was simply observing their reactions; Cathy was completely interested in this Titan; Zhalia had a raised eyebrow, both at the Titan itself, and - he realized after a few seconds - at his reaction; Lok and Sophie slowly looked at each, but after sharing that look, they both looked at him with a smile.

"What?" Den asked, all of them looking at him. "What am I missing?"

"Well, I guess it slipped your education, but dolphins are actually one of the smarter animals on Earth" Sophie said, half mild, half playful. "If you don't include humans in that list, they rank about third in intelligence."

"Really?" he asked, surprised, before something occurred to him. "Wait, if he's third on the list... why is his species the one representing intelligence?"

"Hey guys, look at that!"

They turned at Cathy's words - the Legendary Titan had apparently started it's game, whacking the ball and bouncing it off a target. However, it bounced so precisely that it hit several targets in a row before it went off-target... and the exact moment it would have, the Titan jumped up from underneath, expertly smacking it. Again it hit a target, so precisely it bounded off even more targets being going off, but smacked back into the pattern every time. At several moments, he would dimensionally move to observe the ball's progress.

Cathy slowly laughed. "Not only is he playful, he's talented!"

"Yeah, tell me about it" Lok said, looking at Sophie (who smiled, excited), and him. "Seriously, look at that; forethought, calculating where and when it'll hit a target, and exact precision about how/where to hit the ball. I'm no expert at these things, but even I can see it!"

"...guess I have a lot to learn" Den said mildly, in good disbelief. "I didn't think my Huntik training would include full mastery over dolphin attributes though."

"Why?" Zhalia snarked lightly. "You've had to memorize weirder things, Den, such as advanced math equations."

Den slowly chuckled, sheepish, but she had a point, especially about the math. Sophie just looked annoyed, hands on her hips, but Zhalia hardly gave that a second thought.

...

While this had been going on, Cathy slowly looked at her dad. "Hey, why didn't you uh, try bonding with him, dad?" she asked, surprising Eathon a little. "I mean, if this 'Professor' guy is so bad, why couldn't you just gather more like him?"

He smiled, glancing at the others briefly. "If I was strong enough, I might have done so" he said wistfully. "However, as you might imagine, there is a limit to the Seeker's power. Individually it varies, of course, but even the strongest can't summon too many Titans at once - especially Legendary Titans."

"They're that strong?" she asked, worried, subdued.

He nodded gravely. "Yes" he breathed. "And it's hard to imagine their power until you've felt it for yourself, up close and personal. But I hope you never have to, Cathy."

That made her feel a little better, and she looked back at the dolphin Titan - it looked friendly enough, but she could see more to it. And she knew: intelligence wasn't inherently good or bad, but a tool to be used by whomever could wield it. Just as she used it academically, others used it for things like pranks, and other manipulations... gah that'd been an embarrassing month!

...

"What are it's stats, Den?"

Looking at his shoulder, where Cherit sat, Den pulled out his Holotome (with some effort; that thing was packed tight). "Let's see" he said, adjusting the scanner beam to move outward, while everyone knew enough to listen in on this.

A few seconds, then:

 _"Timaeus"_ it spoke, showcasing the Titan's moving image. _"Attack: 4; Defense: 4; Size: Medium; Type: Legendary Sorcerer; Special Abilities: Dimensional Jump, Sonic Screech."_

"Hmm" Den breathed, interested in that 'Sonic Screech' thing. "Not a big attacker per se, but that dimensional jumping we saw could be a good thing."

"Indeed it does" Cherit noted, fingers along his chin. "And being the Legendary Titan of Intelligence, it must have a few tricks to it."

"Question remains" he added, looking at Lok. "Who's gonna try and bond with that Legendary Titan?"

Lok merely smirked, surprising most everyone present. "Do we _really_ need to ask that, Den?" he said in a knowing tone, one hand on his hip, glancing at the woman beside him. "Because there's no doubt in my mind."

Sophie slowly blushed, just the slightest. "I-I'm honored" she said, with a smile. "I'll admit I never tried to bond with a _live_ Titan before, but I'll give it my best shot, don't you worry."

"Mind if I come, Sophie?"

She giggled a bit. "If it's allowed, I'd like that, Cherit."

/

A little while later, down the hill and roughly fifty feet away from the Legendary Titan, she slowly breathed in and out.

"You'll do great, Sophie" Cherit said cheerfully, just beside her.

"I'll certainly try" she agreed, before letting a bit of her nervousness show. "But like I said, I've never done this before; I don't know what to expect from a live Titan."

"That makes two of us, so you aren't alone."

Sophie smiled. "Good to know" she answered, before running forward, Cherit hurrying after her.

Within thirty feet, Timaeus became aware of her presence (she instinctively slowed), the Titan's ball hitting a total of five targets before it went off course and landed with a splash. Even as she walked forward, Timaeus turned to face them, but remained in the middle of the lake. It's blue eyes were about as big as her fists, and regarded her with an intensive, calculating gaze. She might have called it cold, but she knew better - on her back, Cherit made a small sound, hoping this went well.

She initially thought of talking to him, but had a better idea, so she closed her eyes.

She reached out to the Legendary Titan mentally, as if it were one of her Titans-

It recoiled at the touch, but did not pull away; only regarded her carefully. The contact she felt was just as sharp and intense as she'd expected-

She focused completely, transmitting her feelings/images to the Legendary Titan: that she hoped to prevent chaos by defeating another force, that she needed help and power, and that she believed her cause was just. In addition, Sophie also communicated her style of thinking, how she perceived the world, or as best as she could with limited bursts. _"Timaeus"_ she thought, going for firm, yet open to compromise. _"What do I have to do to prove my worth to you?"_

The Titan continued to regard her, but made a series of clicking sounds, showing it's teeth in the process.

Razor-sharp teeth, triple-rowed...

 _"That's not- ugh, wait, he's not an Earth dolphin; never mind."_

Cherit noticed the change, and then looked at her. "You reaching out to him, aren't you" he whispered, but without waiting for an answer: "What's he communicating, Sophie?"

"I don't know" she admitted. "He hasn't given an answer yet."

Then Timaeus gave out a shrill cry, startling them, but he still didn't move-

 _Rumble_

She looked at the ground, which was shaking, but was further surprised when something erupted out of the ground near the lake (and them). She coughed at the dust, trying to see - but soon recognized it as an entrance to a tomb, not unlike the Egyptian ones. Leading down into it was a perfectly well-done set of stairs.

Sophie looked at Timaeus, who unmistakably gestured at it with it's nose.

Looking back at Cherit, she nodded. "Come on, Cherit" she said. "Let's do this."

"You got it, Sophie!"

Just as she went down the steps though, she half-expected Timaeus to protest Cherit being with her - however, he did absolutely nothing; just watched the two of them descend the stairs, only his eyes moving.

Then the entrance closed behind them, leaving the area pitch-black-

/

"I wish I could have gone with her" Lok said, sighing. "But that's not how it works. Now she's _trapped_ in the middle of that trial-"

"She's hardly trapped, Lok" Eathon answered. "Timaeus is the Legendary Titan of Intelligence, and his trail will test that; the dangers are not an overwhelming one."

"Yeah, but still" Lok breathed, turning around. "Usually you have to walk your girlfriend to her door after a date; I'd kinda like to have done the same with a not-quite-dangerous trial. Is that weird?"

"I think it is, little bro" Cathy said playfully, before surprisingly putting _him_ in a headlock. "And it's finally payback time!"

"Hey, let go of me!"

"Then call uncle!"

"Haha, not a chance!"

Soon they were just laughing, which Eathon himself joined in on. Off to the side, Zhalia and Den slowly shrugged with amused expressions (well, her more than him), turning away. "Is family bonding always that cheerful?" she asked, but not snarky this time.

Den appeared to note this, but rubbed his head. "Hardly" he answered. "Sometimes siblings gotta fight just to get things outta their system. It's violent, but it always heals afterward - or at least it helps. Cathy's likely doing so to help her make sure this is all happening, on some level."

"Other than the 'obvious' fights, did you and Harrison have any?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it was a fight, really" he admitted, glancing up. "We just sorta play-wrestled. You know, like brothers do."

"Did you bruise him?" she asked, with a little curve.

Den slowly chuckled. "A little" he continued, looking at her. "Harrison said he probably deserved it in some way; I didn't comment."

"Sometimes that makes all the difference" she continued, approving. "What to say and what not to say is a good skill to learn."

Den glanced at her, eyebrow raised, no doubt about to say a comment about her own 'ways' of applying that-

Something was nearby.

"Shh" she breathed in a hurry, listening carefully (Den got the message quickly), ready for the slightest sound...

However, what drew her attention was the slight rumbling that followed - and it did not come from the direction of the Legendary Titan.

Lok and the others felt it too: "What is that?"

Eathon stood up, looking around carefully. _"Echoburst"_ he cast, energy moving around his ear. "...it sounds like a territorial fight" he said carefully, tilting his head, though he made motions that sounded like he was going to be overloaded soon. "Numerous Titans are fighting nearby, and the energy of the fight is affecting what's nearby."

"S-So that's why we feel the ground shaking?"

"It seems so, Cathy."

"Mind if we go and check it out?" Zhalia asked, to general surprise, to which she smiled (just a little). "You know, keep an eye on things?"

Den slowly chuckled. "She left out 'intervene' if necessary" he added, to which she approved of, by glance alone.

"You sure you'll be okay guys?" Lok asked.

"Absolutely" Den answered. "And if we need help, we'll send a spell straight up."

During this small conversation though, it was almost impossible to miss the glance Eathon directed at her - she met it evenly, as she had all his previous ones, showing she was aware of his scrutiny without changing her behavior (something he wouldn't miss either). She couldn't blame him for the suspicion, as despite the assurances of his children, Sophie, and Den, his last experiences with the Organization would be vivid. However, at the same time, another part of her felt slightly weary at having to go through this again... enough was enough, but she certainly couldn't say that. Trying to get into his good graces, or confronting him; they'd make him think she was trying to misled him, and for good reason, as they were the oldest tricks in the book.

She certainly couldn't let Eathon believe that.

A moment, then he glanced at Lok, before seeming to back off as he considered numerous factors.

"Shall we?" Den asked of her.

Zhalia looked back at Den, already mentally cataloging which Titans were best for which situation. "Let's" she breathed, nodding.

However, long after they were gone, what originally got her suspicious made it's move...

* * *

"Cherit!"

"Sophie! Who turned out the lights!?"

"I bet I could-AH! Cherit, that's my leg!"

"Sorry! But at least I know where you are now!"

"Yes, and that's great, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't cling as much as you're doing!"

Almost as if something flicked a light-switch, the room instantly went from pitch-black to relatively shaded lighting - they briefly recoiled, their eyes trying to adjust too much at once. Cherit made a sheepish sound as he unattached himself from her leg, but she was settling down.

"Next time you're afraid of the dark, tell me in advance" Sophie said with a slight scoff, after making sure he hadn't poked holes in her leggings.

"It wasn't the dark, Sophie" Cherit answered, looking around the room carefully. "It just triggered all my instincts about traps, and I thought something ever scarier was about to attack us, or worse!"

"...well, that's more reasonable" she admitted, also looking around the room. It was mostly the size of a one-story house, with no entrances or exits, and yet the air was obviously fresh, so it must be ventilated somehow (various cracks and jagged holes gave her that answer). Lit torches resided in each of the corners, throwing flickering lights over the walls. In front of her, the entire section of wall had pictures carved into the stone, depicting... what seemed to be abominations with wings. And largest amongst them was one captured in the art of descending from above, covered in light.

"Is this room... drawing on my Earth roots?" she asked slowly, beginning to recognize what they actually were; the original depictions of angels.

"I guess it must be" Cherit said, flying up and closely observing some of the other pictures. "Even through the telepathic bond, it's seems unlikely Timaeus could have full knowledge about this mythology."

"Very true" she said out loud, before internally: _"But what is the trial trying to ask me?"_

Sophie puzzled over this for a little, while Cherit continued to look at the carvings, until he hung underneath the giant fallen angel carving. "Sophie? Am I seeing this right?" he asked.

She hurried over, only to see a seemingly random collection of bumps, hand-chiseled from the stone. But why would-?

"Wait a minute" she breathed, looking over it carefully. "Is that... the Braille language?"

Cherit let out a sort-of whoop. "I thought it might be, but I wanted to be sure!"

"But how?" she questioned, glancing up at the depictions again. "Much as I've been interested, I've never particularly learned Braille."

"I have!"

"You _have_?" she asked, thoroughly surprised. "Since _when_ , Cherit!?"

"Since after the battle with The Betrayer" he said cheerfully. "Much as I can read, I did enjoy the challenge of reading without words."

"...Well, that's a little convenient" Sophie said eventually, nonplussed. "And by little, I mean _a lot_. Have you read other languages we don't know of?"

His ears drooped slightly, but only for a moment. "I wish I could have, but I'm limited by my own ease of memory" he said. "And since I haven't studied in awhile, I may be a bit rusty."

She slowly made a sound, arms crossed. "Well, I'll take what I can get, even if it's still very much convenient" she said mildly. Cherit nodded, then worked to 'bump' his way across the language, while she slowly observed the other depictions, trying to gather all information that she could before the question was posed. As he did so, she wondered if Timaeus had drawn upon Cherit's memory as well, and that was the reason why this included Braille. It certainly seemed the only explanation, as she certainly hadn't learned Braille.

"Hmm" Cherit breathed after awhile, going back and forth from the depictions and the chiseled language. "I believe it says 'Reveal the name... and true form... of the being... who descended... from the center... and never returned'."

Cherit then made a noise, hand on his chin, even as he hovered. "I get they're talking about angels, but I really don't like riddles" he said, thinking.

"They seek to twist you until you can't tell left from right" she said, hand on her hip. "Hmm..."

"Descended, and never returned - that means fallen ones, obviously" Cherit said, before going up to her shoulder. "But that doesn't help us; all fallen angels never returned in mythology."

"True, but the riddle isn't talking about angels, plural" Sophie said, starting to smirk; way too easy for someone of her talents (though it was the first question; a warm-up). "It's referring to one being."

"Who's that?"

Rather than answer, she stepped forward, observing the carving of an angel falling from grace - but not just any angel. Slowly, she touched her hands to the bumps, feeling her way by numbers (A = 1st one, and so on) which letters they were. She pressed the first letter of her answer, and it settled inward just like a stone button – she hummed a bit, then continued the process until she arrived at the full word.

 _Lucifer_

The room began to hiss-

She looked around, unsure about that reaction, and Cherit shared this concern - then to their deep surprise, the room itself started fading away. Literally, the stone and everything else were turning into smoke and fog, like they weren't solid in the first place. However, they were still mysteriously given light from an unknown source (and a solid floor), even as the smoke fog swirled around them.

"Regardless of whether that was or was not the correct answer" Cherit said, looking at her from her shoulder. "Why answer with that, Sophie?"

She smirked a little. "Some stories in that particular mythology skip over this, but the devil was originally the highest order of angel, underneath God himself. But he was cast out, and made to rule over hell."

"As far as the mythology goes?"

"Yeah, at least the general Christian mythology; maybe not the Protestant version" she admitted. "To this day, no one can agree if the mythologies - any of them, really - were true or not. But I think it's better not to go there; the debates can get quite violent."

"I hope you mean that metaphorically-" he started, worried.

Even as he finished, the smoke fog started to solidify again-

* * *

Slowly breathing, Lok lay against the ground, just feeling the wind, but thoughts focused elsewhere.

"Penny for your thoughts, Lok."

He slowly made a sound, but smiled a little. "Am I that obvious, dad?" he asked, but rhetorically.

Dad didn't look at him (all of the time he was talking, he meant), but still chuckled. "Well, perhaps I'm wrong, but I think I know the issue" he said mildly. "Waiting is often the hardest part of being a leader, especially regarding people you care about."

"More like intentionally doing nothing" Lok agreed, breathing out, but with a bit of relief. "And making the harder choices sometimes, and otherwise making sure everything is order, and all that. It's a lot of work."

"Sounds like you're holding up well" dad observed. "It's a lot to be put on a young man."

"Well, I do what I can, dad" he said, sitting up. "I mean, I don't love or hate it; I simply prefer hanging out with my friends, and enjoying the world."

His dad hummed. "Sounds like you learned well from Dante" he said, with a little smirk.

Lok slowly chuckled, embarrassed. "I think that was unavoidable, dad" he answered mildly. "I've come a long way, but there's more to go... plus, Dante's still the best in my opinion. His ability to be cool no matter the situation isn't something I could do."

"Well, we all have our ways" dad answered faintly, before his lip curved. "And I'm sorry is this is random, but I only just remembered it: did you ever solve that Rubik's cube I left in your room?"

Lok actually laughed, remembering the look on Sophie's face when he'd solved it right in front of her. "Well, I didn't actually attempt it until shortly before I left for Italy, years ago" he admitted, sheepish. "I didn't finish it right then, which I'm still laughing at, but when I found it again, I solved it in fifteen moves" he continued, his dad almost grinning, "Sophie _could not_ believe I did that."

"So, was it too easy?"

"Mmm, about average, but it was fun, dad."

"Good; that's the important part about any puzzle."

They laughed/chuckled again, and only just looked up when Cathy came back. "Hey, Cath" Lok said, waving a hand.

She smiled back, raising a hand briefly. "Sorry I took so long" she said, just getting past the tree. "I was-"

 _Whoosh_

"Ah-What the!?"

"Cathy!"

In the blink of an eye, a Titan had jumped out of the tree, and held wrist-blades to Cathy's throat from behind. The Titan itself was gray-skinned, humanoid, but it's face was heavily concealed by a black hood. Most of it's other clothes were similarly-colored as well, mostly dark shades of gray and brown, but some small splashes of blue. It's arms were bare past the elbows, but the most striking feature were the wrist-blades - literally, they grew out of his skin beneath the palm, bulging along the rest of his forearms. The blades themselves were about as long as it's hands, worn and dulled by use, but their sharpness wasn't in question.

Lok stood up, only vaguely aware of his dad doing the same as he raised a hand: _"Bolt-!"_

 _"Don't attack!"_

"What-Dad!?" he yelled, heavily confused by the restraining arm and still in full-overdrive mode.

"Don't provoke him!" dad continued, but looking at Cathy. "He won't hurt you!"

Cathy breathed out, scared and confused, but not panicked yet. "What-?"

"Trust me; he _won't_ hurt you."

The Titan made an unmistakably disappointed growl, and surprisingly, it's grip near Cathy's throat moved a small fraction of an inch away. This did not escape his notice (or Cathy's), but he just didn't get it! "Dad, what-?" Lok asked.

"This Titan desires worthy opponents" dad said simply, carefully, slowly lowering his arm. "He can pull stunts like this, but will not attack or wound helpless opponents who will not fight - he draws the line there; trust me, I know."

From her position, Cathy pressed one side of her face against the Titan, and - he breathed out - moved her hand. _"T-Touchram!"_

The blast pushed back the Titan, sending it's grip in wide arcs - one lightly scratched her neck, which she flinched at - but other than a stagger, was mostly unhurt. And when Cathy ran, one hand pressed to her wound, he did not attempt to go after her.

"Cath!" Lok cried out, pulling her into a mutual hug, their grip tight as she breathed heavily. "Are you okay?" he asked intently.

She pulled back enough, cast a quick and still-frightened look back at the Titan (who remained where he stood), keeping her hand to her neck. "Just a scratch, I-I hope" she breathed.

"Here, let me see."

Sitting down, she let dad pull her hand off, looking closely at the wound - while the scratch had broken the skin, and was reddening rapidly, there were little signs of blood. Lok saw this, but made to keep his instincts open... he didn't doubt dad's word, but you never know.

"Just a scratch, like you said" dad said bracingly, Cathy breathing out in relief. "Will fully heal in a few days."

Wordless, she just threw herself against him, and dad held her tight as she shook a little.

"Okay" Lok said slowly, fully turning his attention back to the Titan, and noting it'd retracted it's wrist-blades, for now at least. So it desired a worthy opponent... hmm.

 _/_

"Even a battle between 'ordinary' Titans can cause a 1.0 earthquake here."

"I'd think you were exaggerating, Zhalia, but I admit I've never felt an actual earthquake before" Den said beside her, on his stomach. "So I can't say."

She hummed slightly, observing the territorial battle, which involved a Harlekin and a Hoplite among others - both sides appeared to be even, so it could go either way. But they weren't a danger, yet, even as they occasionally sent out minor trembles from the conflicting energies. "Still, even if this is unproductive, we get to scout out at the same time-" she said mildly, glancing at the tree behind her, which held the barely-able-to-be-seen image of Gareon clinging to it's bark (and even then, only because of their bond), "-and the family gets to bond more. Everyone wins."

"Well, perhaps if Dante called you."

Zhalia jolted, looking at him, blood rushing to her cheeks rapidly.

But Den merely chuckled, not even looking at her. "Actually, maybe he won't" he said mildly, still not aimed at her. "He knows how important our work is."

Suspicious about if he knew or not, Zhalia looked at him for awhile longer, before slowly turning back to the Titan skirmish. Her heart remained pounding though, and she worked hard to get the red off her cheeks. One thing gnawed at her though, thanks to Den's tease bringing it up; had she spoken too soon? She'd outright admitted to Dante that she didn't know if she could handle everyone knowing... problem was, Den just made it clear they _do_ know, least to some degree. Was there any point in her keeping it a 'secret' when it obviously wasn't?

 _"I don't know about that"_ she thought, feeling unsure. _"But I do know... I have some new questions to consider... like am I secure enough to have everyone know?"_

* * *

"Several riddles in a row, varying in difficulty level. Are they all gonna be like that?"

"I doubt it, Cherit" Sophie answered, watching as the room fluctuated yet again. "Some tests of intelligence also deal with adaptability, or cunning."

Cherit didn't answer that, just hovered by her side, then the room finished reforming... but to her surprise, this time it was simply a long hallway, with two different branching paths.

Or was it?

Glancing at each other, they slowly moved to the branching paths, where she glanced down the left... which stopped at a dead-end. The right path was also a hallway, but with many linking branching paths.

"A maze?"

"Looks like it" she said slowly, casting a glance down the dead-end; why was it giving her a feeling?

Cherit made a sound, flying near the right branching path. "I hate underground mazes" he sulked. "They never give you the ability to fly over the walls."

Sophie giggled slightly at that, also observing the multiple paths they could go through. "I wish I had that ability, period" she said playfully. "It would certainly make things a lot easier."

"You have no idea!"

They both laughed, before turning their gaze toward their multiple-choice path. "Well, shall we?" Cherit offered, hands in the ladies-first gesture.

Nodding slightly, she took a step forward-

-and paused.

Why was this feeling still remaining?

"Sophie?"

"One moment" she said carefully, looking back at the dead-end path suspiciously. "I want to try something..."

Cherit glanced at the dead-end path, but at least refrained from saying the obvious. She slowly aimed her hand down the path-

 _"Breakspell."_

With concentration, and a little extra energy boost, this spell washed over the entire dead-end path, but nothing happened... until a veil of energy shimmered at the far end, revealing what seemed to be a goblet on a stone block.

"Ohh" Cherit breathed in fascination, before looking at her sideways. "How did you know that was there?"

"I didn't" she said simply, still a little surprised that had worked. "I just had a feeling this maze might be trying to trick me in some way - any normal maze tries to do that with it's twists and turns, but this maze is created by a Legendary Titan; magic had to play a part somewhere."

"And if the spell hadn't worked?"

"Then I'd have moved on" Sophie answered confidently, walking forward. "Just like I'm doing now."

The goblet itself looked considerably old - thousands of years of weathering - but the purple concoction inside had obviously been freshly brewed. A bunch of details for an otherwise normal test, she noted. _"Powerscan"_ Sophie breathed, touching her head, but the spell did not reveal anything. "Hmm" she breathed to herself, before slowly reaching out for the goblet.

"You sure you don't want me to do that, Sophie?"

"I appreciate it, but this is my trial here, Cherit" she said mildly, but gentle.

Then she grasped the goblet-

 _HISS_

The maze disappeared again, the goblet joining in as it vanished in her hand, swirling around them as fog smoke for awhile - she scratched at her arm, and Cherit did mid-air stretches, both of them used to this by now. Eventually it reformed... into another maze (just with different rock).

Sophie slowly breathed out; she hoped that whatever this Titan was going for, it was getting all the info it needed from her. After all, at least thus far, he didn't seem determined to test the very limits of her intelligence, but rather just the important details. She felt odd at that, but knew that despite her wishes, she couldn't ask the Legendary Titan to give her something harder... much as she wished to. And anyway, for all she knew, Timaeus might have a thing for mazes, or maybe just underground environments (though if he did, it'd be a big interest, rather than any actual desire to be underground; he was a dolphin after all).

"Let's go" Sophie said, finally resolving to get through this; Cherit was better about it, but obviously was beginning to wonder himself.

Unlike the last maze though, this one apparently didn't have any illusion deceptions - and believe her, she tried. Plus, strangely, aside from the dead-end branches, it completely lacked twists and turns to throw them off. After passing the fifth instance of this, she thought it must mean this maze was leading her to some bigger test. Either way, this latest venture had taken about ten minutes, so it'd be better come soon. Another seemingly-pointless twist and turn-

"Woah!"

Small rocks tumbled down the cliffside, right where her foot had almost slid down, echoing loudly all the way down. Impact at the bottom a second later told her it wasn't impossibly deep, but the way it was pitch-black after only two feet made her wary. The room itself was _huge_ , a cavernous dwelling that was mysteriously lighted (with shadows and everything), and could have fit her entire Townhouse in here. About a foot to the left, a path large enough for single-file led straight toward the center, with a similar path on the opposite side. Connecting them both however was a large square space, with what seemed to be a crystal set in stone, dead-smack in the middle.

Sure, not suspicious _at all_.

Sophie glanced at where the rocks had fallen, keeping herself close to the wall, just in case the two-feet-down sound was trying to deceive her. "Well... that's one way to break the tedium" she said, trying for mild.

"Yes, and I don't like the look of that pit, even knowing it's seemingly not that deep" Cherit said, worried. "Plus that space ahead just smells of a trap!"

"An unavoidable one, unfortunately" she admitted.

"But after all the smaller tests, this must mean we're getting close."

"I won't argue with that" she agreed, wanting it to be true. "Come on."

He did, the two of them hurrying across the single-file bridge (Cherit flying above it for safety purposes), and they slowed _just_ as they came to rest on the large square. Sure enough, the crystal began to glow at their presence - they looked at each other, nodding with determination, then faced it. The energy seemed to scan them, then it began to coalesce into two forms, one considerably larger and the other about her size. And as they began to take shape, she became suspicious... was that-?

"Oh dear..."

Well, that was one way to put it; the energy had formed darker versions of Gar-Ghoul and Zhalia. Gar-Ghoul slowly stepped forward, it's foot shaking the ground slightly, leaving out any possibility they weren't solid - Zhalia merely smirked, but with dark intentions as she started walking forward.

"Do we fight, Sophie?"

"Yes, but remember what attribute that's being tested here, Cherit" Sophie said carefully, watching their every move. There was only one thing she wasn't sure of; was this testing her intelligence in battle under pressure, OR was it testing her decision-process in dealing with battles that weren't completely necessary? Well, only one way to find out...

"This is still gonna be hard" Cherit said, worried, but (wearily) ready to fight. "I know that's not the real Zhalia, but it looks just like her."

"Well, do the best you can, Cherit."

"Ah, that's so cute" 'Zhalia' said, purely mocking. "She thinks she can hurt us."

 _"Focus"_ Sophie thought forcefully, before aiming forward. _"Boltflare!"_

The Zhalia clone dodged with ease, almost mockingly so.

Okay... so lesson learned; this thing was fast, and likely strong too.

 _"Hyperstride!"_

 _"Shadowspeed!"_

While she fought on, Cherit dodged several quick bursts of high-pressure water - "Ahhh!" he blasted, knocking back the Titan a step, but it still remained standing! "There's no reason to do this, whatever you are!" he called out, ducking through claws and it's teeth. "Because you're sure not one of my brothers!"

The fake Gar-Ghoul roared at him, blasting water, but Cherit still escaped - barely.

And back to Sophie, though it had only been a few seconds, she and 'Zhalia' were struggling against each other. Sophie grunted a bit, starting to lose ground; she was right, as this fake Zhalia had muscles beyond her appearance.

"What?" Zhalia challenged, still holding her fists in a tight grip, struggling to overpower the other. "That all you got?"

"Hardly, but no opponent begins at full power" Sophie snarked, deliberately glancing at the opposite path, which presumably lead out of here. "That's just overkill."

Zhalia also glanced at the path, eyes only, lending credence to her suspicion. "It also means you leave yourself wide open!" Zhalia said, moving behind her in a blur, and twisting her arm tight against her back.

So this opponent was legitimately stronger and faster than she was, and neither she nor Cherit had any real reason to fight her.

Sophie grunted, but still got ready. "Sometimes that's the point!"

With effort, she back-flipped out of Zhalia's grip, now behind her and sending her sprawling. "Cherit!" she called, but never looking away as Zhalia got up in quickly. "Follow my lead!"

"If you say so!"

She side-stepped a punch or two. _"I'm gonna move 'Zhalia' near the exit"_ she mentally thought to him, to his massive surprise. _"Then I'll rush at her, but it's a feint; you have to be ready to grab onto me."_

Cherit didn't answer, probably because of the surprise, but she focused on forcing Zhalia toward the exit. Behind her, Cherit blasted at the fake Gar-Ghoul, along with a roar and more high-pressure water (which was beginning to spill everywhere).

Eventually, Sophie managed it; Zhalia backed against the edge, noting this with hard eyes. However, she was clearly ready to do whatever it took to keep her from reaching that exit, as her hands (and feet, surprisingly) began to glow with emulated Seeker energy.

Interesting effects... too bad she wouldn't be around to see the results.

Sophie rushed forward: _"Nimblefire!"_

The fake Zhalia tensed-

Just feet away, Cherit also rushed toward the scene, but Zhalia was prepared anyway.

Less than a foot away-

Cherit reached out, barely missed, then got a good grip on her arm.

She twisted-

"Wooah!"

Where she had been, all that was left was a streak of red Seeker energy - just as Sophie looked back, the door closed behind them, along with-

"Oh great, pitch-blackness again."

"But you're not freaking out, Cherit."

"I hope it stays that way. Mmm."

She slowly made a sound, agreeing, before something opened up above them (and again with a painful lighting adjustment). This time however, it led to actual daylight... or well, _would_ have been daylight, if the Spirit World had such a thing - another set of stairs leading her up.

"Finally!" Cherit cheered. "You must have finished the test, however unusual it was!"

"Yeah" she agreed, walking up them quickly, eager to see the results of the trial. Cherit stayed on her shoulder the entire time, and when they came out, it was exactly how they'd entered; Timaeus waited patiently in the lake, seeming not to have moved in the slightest. His calculating gaze said nothing to her, leaving her unsure after a moment.

However, just as Sophie was about to ask a number of 'what?'s, a small green glow to her right drew their attention. Floating there in the glow was a golden ring, the base design being the usual band, with a gray stone set among small arching curves. She glanced at Cherit, sharing a smile, before she slowly reached for it- and the moment her fingers touched it, the glow intensified. She grunted, focusing as she proved her will to the Legendary Titan, the process taking awhile. And it should; this test had clearly been for her right to try and bond with him, not just take him.

However, just as she was on the home stretch, something intruded...

 _A blur of motion, then someone was thrown backward, skidding across the ground- Cathy!? The woman seemed uninjured, quickly sitting up, looking up at a Titan she'd never seen before, it's sharp wrist-blades gleaming slightly-_

The vision ended, and she mentally begged it not to stop; she couldn't let anything happen to Cathy! And where were the others!?

The moment Sophie's concern burst through, the bonding ended, with a one-sided feeling of satisfaction left over - in her hands, the ring stopped glowing; the Legendary Titan of Intelligence was hers. In that moment, several things burst onto her mind from the Legendary Titan, including how she handled herself against the fake Zhalia, what he'd been doing with the targets in his lake (certainly not 'playing'), and something about an answer to her question (apparently Timaeus really _did_ have an interest in underground environments). But rather than feel proud/happy about her achievement, she had other concerns first-

"I have to get back, now!"

* * *

Standing around, fidgeting with a rock under his foot, Murdock struggled to contain his impatience.

To his right, standing/sitting near each other, Shauna and Wind were doing the same - Wind had his arms crossed, but Shauna appeared not to be angry, strangely. Then he saw why; her finger was extended, casting a small red glow in a line that faded the farther out it got. Murdock quickly/easily traced it's path by line-of-sight, and saw it draw a straight line to Kiel, who was standing apart from them. It left no visible trace on the man, but as he watched, Kiel's anger state grew more and more pronounced subtly. He had to know about it, but also knew he had to watch his wording; Shauna did not like 'why' questions in general.

 _"One I can't ask is how Kiel's of any use to us like this, caged and increasingly, deliberately angry"_ he thought. _"It clearly has a purpose, but for what?"_

Eventually, he walked over carefully; neither reacted that much.

"So" Murdock said slowly, looking at Kiel. "You seem almost done."

"That is obvious, yet you are correct" Shauna said, offhand.

He was barely phased; could have much worse. "Do I have the right to know?" he asked, reluctant.

"Not yet" she said, smirking. "But soon."

Well, better than he'd expected... still, he glanced at Wind, wondering if she wasn't just being out-of-character generous. Wind caught his glance, kept up the eye contact, then subtly glanced to his right - then just as quickly, he resumed his waiting stance. Wondering at that, he slowly and discreetly glanced to this right, at the pool of water that had a slight red glow from underneath it's surface. Or so it seemed to be water, despite the black coloring-

Another piece to the puzzle, but how did it fit?

"About time!"

Murdock snapped to attention by habit, seeing Shauna and Wind turned toward the approaching figures, the smallest of which was big and hideously ugly. The distended veins and skin discoloration had only worsened since the last time they'd seen him – the only part of his face that remained in 'good' condition was his remaining eye. Though, he said 'remaining' because he didn't know what was going on with the other, which was pure white.

Their visitor took little notice of his look, giving a vaguely-psychotic grin. "Finally" The Professor announced, flanked by his three Legendary Titans. "Perhaps now we can some progress done!"

Beside him, he could physically hear Shauna gritting her teeth together, in an attempt to not rip him apart - Wind merely put a hand on her shoulder, without looking; it seemed to help a little.

"You are lucky our orders are strict" she spat at him.

The Professor dismissed this, and was about to say more, before Kiel rejoined the 'party'.

"You're late" Kiel said gruffly. "Can't even be bothered to show up on time?"

"Silence your dog, or I'll do it for you."

Shauna was furious, but it was nothing compared to Kiel's berserk reaction-

-or at least, it would have been.

A red glow overtook all else, stopping everyone in their tracks, and the energy wave sucking the life out of most smaller things nearby - it continued to emanate from the pool. Kiel in particular clutched at his head, but otherwise seemed to be fine, if itching to lash out.

Wind glanced at Shauna, and she nodded after a moment. "The Betrayer is correct" she said in a hard tone. "We are to discuss the finer details of our plans, but we will _not_ destroy each other. _Yet._ "

The Professor scoffed, but it was with a arrogant grin, while Shauna glared daggers at him.

 _"Only a matter of time"_ Murdock thought, lucky he wasn't in the middle, though anywhere near the blast zone wasn't exactly safe either. _"Until the betrayals start."_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Somehow I get the feeling I've left this chapter hanging on multiple cliffhangers... anyone else feel that way? XD Just a bunch of stuff that's happening all at the same time, and only so much room to make chapters relatively even, heh**

 **Anyway, in response to Guest Ket, at the time of Eathon's disappearance into Huntik, the Organization was under control of The Professor - a fact would would remain true up until that same man fell into Huntik. After which time, Eathon was doing what he could to get away from The Professor, among other reasons and such. In my line of thought, that would leave Eathon unaware of the recent developments in the Organization, who were then under the rule of Wilder (now out of that job), and finally Grier. Being late to the revelation, Eathon has no reason to believe they aren't still against the Foundation, so his first reaction would be suspicion imo.**

 **His kids + their friends vouching otherwise is something important to consider, but he'd keep an eye on Zhalia nonetheless, just to make sure - he's too experienced not to consider the possibility. And naturally, Zhalia's noticed, but she has an edge in knowing exactly what 'not' to do when under scrutiny.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	17. Bonding

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Lok and his team make their first stop, at the lair of the Legendary Titan of Intelligence, Timaeus. It is quickly agreed that Sophie would attempt to bond with this Titan, aided by Cherit, and the attempt is made. After many tests of her intelligence and secondary instincts, Sophie wins the approval of the Legendary Titan, but a troubling vision intrudes on the moment. At the same time, Cathy is nearly attacked by a new Titan, who seeks an honorable opponent - and the Blood Spirals meet face-to-face with the Professor, with tensions high despite their working together.**

* * *

 _"Bonding"_

 _Episode 69_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"Well, what will we do?" Lok asked his family, looking at the Titan standing across from them. "He wants a worthy opponent, but will he leave?"

"I-I don't think he's gonna leave, bro."

Lok glanced back at her, but kept his instincts ready, just in case. "Why, Cath?"

"Look at him" she breathed, still a little rattled from the earlier events, but she gestured at the gray Titan. "Maybe he won't hurt us, like dad said, but he's serious about wanting an opponent. A-And by that stance, he's not gonna move until forced to, or satisfied - at least I'm guessing."

"Hmm" their dad breathed, looking at the Titan itself. "Good instincts, Cathy. I had much the same thoughts, but you beat me to stating them" he continued, his lip curving (Cathy looked a little embarrassed briefly).

"Well, if we want to force him, I could-" Lok started.

"Or we could oblige him."

Both of them stared at dad, surprised, while he just smiled a little. "Come on, it's not a bad thing to have more Titans" dad said. "And if I saw correctly, Cathy, you have only Springer, Ironsquire, and your mother's Solar and Lunar. Not bad as starting Titans, no doubt about it, but certainly room for more."

Cathy instantly saw where that was going, the way she stammered a bit. "M-Me?"

"I don't see why not" he said gently. "But only if you're willing."

While this little conversation went on, Lok stood there stunned, discreetly seeing that the new Titan was very interested in the conversation itself... even if it only showed in subtle movements. His dad made some very good points, but he still worried about Cath engaging in direct battle, same as he'd felt for awhile now - as other than defense, it wasn't her strong suit. But also, another part of him argued it wasn't really his decision to make, or dad's (who clearly accepted this already), or the fact that his worry could only go so far. Slowly sighing, he glanced between the Titan and his family, before he slowly pulled out his Holotome. A little start-up later, he set the scanner mode to forward-facing, the Titan noticing this but making no motion.

 _"Shadow"_ it spoke, showcasing the Titan's 3-dimensional image. _"Attack: 5; Defense: 2; Size: Average; Type: Draco-Titan Warrior; Special Abilities: Limited Invisibility, Sound Absorption."_

 _"That would explain how easy stealth is for it"_ Lok thought slowly. _"On top of being invisible, if that 'sound absorption' works the way I think it does, it could run at full speed and wouldn't make a sound. Very useful, but probably can't take very many hits..."_

Just as he finished his thought though, he became aware of Cathy standing beside him - she looked very nervous, but there was something else there.

"What... what do you think, bro?" she asked.

Lok slowly smiled a bit. "You're asking me how well you'll do?" he answered, gentle.

She nodded meekly.

"Well, don't worry" he said bracingly, for himself as well as Cathy, a hand on her shoulder. "Even if you lose, Titans can still bond with you - you just gotta show your willpower, and other good stuff. Plus you'll do fine, of course."

"Well I agree, sorta, but I worry" she said, slowly looking at Shadow, who remained still on it's spot. "If I see that look correctly, he's based off the Persian legends of Hashishin, who were assassins... and correct me if I'm wrong, but if the Titan's personality is so different from his Seeker's, he might outright refuse to bond. Or worse, there might be problems?"

"Yeah, that's true" Lok slowly admitted, seeing it all so clearly - in his mind's eye, he saw another Titan rampaging against his command, until he'd used his anger to be in perfect sync (man he missed the big guy). "But that's just in worst case scenarios - if you're strong enough, the Titan can still obey you. And I don't think strength is what you lack, Cath."

"Mmm..." she breathed, glancing sideways at the Titan for awhile, before aside to him. "I know you'll be there, but I need to make sure; if something goes wrong, you'll help?"

With that, her answer was clear. "Always" he assured gently.

A little smile, then she lightly pushed him. "Thanks, stinker" she breathed, before taking a deep breath and walking forward slowly. He watched for a little, before he glanced at dad, who had stepped closer where Cathy had been.

"She's got this" Lok said confidently.

"I know that" his dad said, his lip curved, before he glanced behind his shoulder at something. "...but perhaps you'd better go greet Sophie."

...

 _At the same time_

"Sophie, slow down! While that vision is worry-some, it may not be as bad as it looked!"

Still running, Sophie didn't look back, working her way up the hill with effort. "Maybe, but I can't take that chance!" she said to Cherit, before gasping, seeing two figures up at the top - one who jolted at his father's words, then quickly turned toward her. For some reason, Lok was carrying his Holotome in his hands-

"Woah! Sophie!" Lok exclaimed, first when he realized she's coming at him fast, then (after they'd both skidded to a halt) said her name.

"Out of my way, Lok" she said firmly. "Cathy-"

"-is fighting with a Titan" they continued at the same time, the only difference being she'd added 'unknown' to her statement.

Thoroughly thrown by that, she stared at him - Lok might have been surprised, but he barely noticed: "I know, I know" he said quickly. "This Titan has been following my dad, at least recently, and it just wants to fight a worthy opponent" he continued, gesturing a bit behind him. "It's been proven he won't actually hurt an opponent; I've seen it with my own eyes."

"But, my vision-"

"She said she saw this Titan hovering over Cathy" Cherit interjected, hanging from her shoulder, but worried. "Almost as if to hurt her."

"Then you must have seen a little of their battle" Lok said, but still clearly a little worried himself. "That's why we're keeping a close watch; come on."

Still not entirely convinced, she nonetheless put it aside, following him up the hill.

/

 _"It's okay, it's gonna be okay. I can do this!"_

Yeah, Cathy was telling herself that, and she'd told her brother that she'd sorta got this - but the upcoming prospect of battling again would not go away. Still, she knew focusing on that wouldn't help; just make it worse. So instead, she had to think carefully: this 'Shadow' wanted a worthy opponent, and not just in battle, but surely her as well if he was gonna take her orders. And she thought it wouldn't be fair or acceptable if the battle was 2-on-1 - so Solar and Lunar were out. Well, good thing she had a defender with her.

 _"Maybe I can get his respect through throwing off his attacks. Perseverance if nothing else, right?"_

She pulled out her amulet, slowly taking in a deep breath.

"Oh! Cath!"

Surprised, but in the middle of turning her head, thought that'd be a bad idea. "Yeah, bro?" she asked, still looking at Shadow, wondering what was so important.

"I just remembered; in here, Titan summoning has a delay, because they're being pulled from all across their dimension. So it won't be instant! I don't think you've seen that yet."

Even more surprised, she still backtracked through her time in here - and no, she didn't think she had seen it yet. Behind her, Sophie said something to Lok about his terrible sense of timing to be telling her that now (he was sheepish), but Cherit also said it was better late than not knowing at all. Briefly, Cathy was surprised that Sophie was back, and wondered if she'd succeeded or not (hope she did), but went back to focusing on now. "Well, thanks, but I'll still make do" Cathy called back, not entirely confident, but managing.

Shadow merely continued to regard her, only it's mouth visible, but un-moving all the same.

Well, here goes nothing - _"Charge, Ironsquire!"_

When nothing happened, even knowing it was coming, Cathy reflected that it looked and felt really stupid... still, just gotta wait, and then things will actually begin. Then she got this instinct in the back of her head, and she glanced up - a burst of light coming straight at them! But thankfully, when it landed, it wasn't with an explosive impact; Ironsquire merely rose from one knee, seeing Shadow, which was enough for him. Shadow himself slowly raised it's wrist-blades, vaguely expressionless, but still managing to convey 'Finally'.

That tense second passed...

Shadow moved first, rushing straight at Ironsquire, who hefted his shield- the first two strikes skated off, then Ironsquire promptly did a sweeping arc and threw off Shadow's next aim. While this had happened, she quickly moved to the side, where she hoped to flank it; basic tactics if nothing else. "Mmh, _Raypulse!_ " she called.

By dumb luck however, Shadow ducked underneath a different blow from Ironsquire, the spell just sailing over his head. It hadn't gone unnoticed by him, clearly, because Shadow backed up, which she instinctively (mentally) saw as an opening; Ironsquire took it, charging straight forward, shield front-and-center. Shadow went skidding from the shield bash, but after that, it's form shimmered and disappeared! Wait, no- there was a ripple outline where it still was! Ironsquire tensed as the shimmer moved toward, blocking one/two/three attacks, but the fourth knocked him off-balance-

 _"Hyperstride!"_

The blue energy worked rapidly, but faded just short of actually 'going'.

"Ah!" Cathy breathed. "Uh... _Boltflare!_ "

Just as she'd called it, Shadow's fifth attack sent Ironsquire stumbling backward, but mostly unhurt. Meanwhile, her spell actually hit his head, but off-center - still, she tried to get them ready. However, when Shadow moved, it wasn't in Ironsquire's direction. She started to panic, backing up as the shimmer ran up closer and closer - then the shimmer faded in mid-run, while Shadow forged on unheeded. Still, he was so close, a wrist-blade rearing back to strike at/near her...

 _"He won't harm you."_

Sorta in slow-motion, she saw enough that her most primal instincts confirmed this: the wrist-blade would dart _near_ her head, but not actually _hit_ her-

Gasping, Cathy twisted to her right, 'dodging' it... and at the same time, she grabbed Shadow's arm with both hands and redirected the energy, flinging him in the same direction he'd been going. While Shadow stumbled forward, she blasted him with _"Augerfrost!"_ , and when he turned around, found Ironsquire charging straight at him. The impact staggered Shadow, pushing him backward with more skid marks, but he still gripped Ironsquire's shield in mid-attack, the two Titans glaring at each other.

/

"And of course, it just _had_ to turn into a free-for-all! _Raypulse!_ "

Ducking underneath the punch of Bonelasher, Zhalia backed up near Den, both of them shadowed under the beating wings of Shakrit. "Least you didn't tempt fate" she snarked, before raising an eyebrow. "Did you?"

He grunted, annoyed, but they had bigger problems right now. "Not verbally, and I _swear_ not mentally either! I don't know how this happened!"

"Hmm."

At the same time this had been going on, the aforementioned free-for-all was just that with the original Harlekin and Hoplite still in it thus far. But now, they've been joined by a large number of Titans they hadn't seen in awhile, largely from Organization suits - including but not limited to: Doom Wardens, Kreutalk and Enforcers, a Bonelasher, and a Shakrit. They'd been wary when Shakrit had shown up, wondering if Wind was nearby, but they had no proof he was the same Titan (or even if there was more than one of him in the first place). And anyway, the free-for-all still raged a long way below the cliff they stood on, mostly ignoring their small group. However, Bonelasher and Sharkit had other ideas... and had come at them literally seconds ago. Gareon still remained on the tree, keeping an eye on the free-for-all and the surrounding area, by her orders - he wasn't exactly happy about it, but he stayed put.

"Anyway, looks about time" Zhalia noted, seeing two different streaks of light coming straight at them - good thing they'd called ahead, considering there was a delay in here.

Den grinned slightly. "Good."

Bonelasher and Shakrit advanced forward, but the impending light drew their attention, and with a burst landed directly in front of them. First was Vigilante, who rose from a kneeling position, drawing his golden sword and knife together. A second later was Gar-Ghoul, who growled at the sight of the two Titans, but his claws extended with audible sharpness.

"Den, get Bonelasher" Zhalia commanded, at the ready. "If Shakrit's still standing when you're finished, then you can help us finish him off."

"Oh sure, why would it happen any other way?" he asked dourly, but not entirely serious about it.

She chuckled a bit-

-Bonelasher and Shakrit rushed at them.

Zhalia motioned, and Gar-Ghoul responded instantly, launching himself at Shakrit. She ran forward as well, holding out another amulet in her hand, _"Fight for your lady, Kilthane!"_ she called.

Meanwhile, Bonelasher was coming in hot. "Vigilante, activate Cindercloak!" Den called-

With a rush of orange energy, Vigilante leapt straight at him, but the impact merged them together as if he were made of shadows. Now wielding his sword+knife, and all his instincts heightened, the energy felt greater than last time.

-together, they dodged Bonelasher's claw, and Den grunted - he knew this Titan was strong, and they'd have to be careful. With quick movements, he moved to Bonelasher's side and sliced his arm, but the Titan barely flinched. Then they back-flipped away from the Titan, only to see him charging straight at him, so they ran forward - just managing to go up and over the Titan, kicking it forward for good measure. Then they hefted their weapons, rushing at the Titan just as it turned... Bonelasher grabbed his sword in mid-strike, then they saw it's other fist racing toward his skill. However, Vigilante moved for them, barely deflecting that blow with effort before another slammed them... they had to end this soon.

Back with Zhalia: _"Shadowspeed!"_ she called, racing away from Shakrit, who just missed biting her - after that, Gar-Ghoul rammed into Shakrit, but the stone Titan roared when the living one bit his neck.

 _"Venomhand!"_

Landing a hit on it's tail, Shakrit hissed, and this allowed Gar-Ghoul to wriggle out of it's grip, but Shakrit's instinctive reaction with his tail slammed her in the gut. Zhalia grunted upon impact, rolling a bit before looking up to see Gar-Ghoul's try to blast Shakrit with alternating jets of ice and water. However, the living Titan dodged each of them, coming straight at her-

 _Clang - Hiss_

 _"Well, better late than never"_ Zhalia thought, Kilthane having materialized and instantly blocked Shakrit's jaws with his shield (struggling from the effort), but she smirked. "Shall we take care of them?" she asked, not seeing her own eyes glow with yellow energy.

Kilthane managed to throw off Shakrit's grip, then he changed before her eyes.

With a rush of energy, Kilthane's armor expanded, not only overlapping more areas, but growing multiple small spikes in straight lines across the legs and arms. Purple and black remained the dominant colors, but the linings turned golden, as did his cape. And on his back, the six blades began to grow outward, their contours resembling spider legs even more - especially when two more grew in place below. The shield and sword remained unchanged, though they might have been more golden-tinted, if anything. Powerbonded Kilthane never took it's eyes off it's opponent.

"Now things get interesting" she approved, looking at the hissing Shakrit. "Kilthane, use Knight's Assault!"

They thought Knight's Charge was bad? Just wait.

Just before this, Den struggled against Bonelasher, who's tentacle _things_ had ensnared them, trying to pull closer, but so far they were resisting. However, the moment his foot began to give way, Den saw it in his mind's eye - Vigilante was gonna detach himself, and make the fight a draw so he could help Zhalia. _"You don't have to do that"_ Den thought to him - Vigilante heard him, but little more. Then just as suddenly, their body began to glow slightly, and Vigilante detached himself - Den himself went sprawling from behind the Titan, but managed to regain his footing.

Den looked up just in time; Vigilante was being freely pulled in by Bonelasher, who held up a fist... but Vigilante readied his dagger, which began to glow black.

 _"What the-?"_

In sorta slow-motion, Bonelasher's fist connected, and Den could feel the impact - but despite this, Vigilante had enough strength of mind to stab the Titan in the chest with that darkened blade. Bonelasher screeched in pain as dark energy cackled, then both Titans returned at once, flying off to who knew where...

Breathing heavily, Den jolted at the loss of energy, as if he'd returned to his amulet like normal. Suddenly afraid for him, he pulled out Vigilante's amulet, looking for cracks... but there were none, and nothing more happened. _"Good"_ he thought, relieved – he was still curious about that new move, but it could wait. He looked over at Zhalia, who was busy. "Now, time to kick things up a notch" Den continued, before: _"Hunt them down, Tyrannos!"_ he called.

Still, to fill the time it would take, he got himself ready as he put the amulet away, _"Mindsight."_

Almost as if he'd turned on a HUD, he saw lines and other such movement indicators about exactly where and when an attack would hit (or miss). Was that just how he saw it though? Well either way, weird... and anyway, Den saw Kilthane (who looked different; cool) bashing Shakrit's head, but the other Titan bashed him with a headbutt - Zhalia side-stepped Kilthane's thrown body, yelling out _"Augerfrost!"_

 _"Raypulse!"_ Den called, blasting Shakrit's wing and irritating it with the double assault - well, that was a start. Still, Shakrit flew up out of reach, and he could have sworn he saw flickering flames in it's mouth...

A small thump came from beside him, and he barely had to look to see Gar-Ghoul by his side, his armor having numerous 'chewed' marks. And at the same time, Den saw a streak of light approaching their position...

He smirked. "Mind distracting that snake?" he asked of the Titan. "We'll need him in the air."

The slightest pause, where he may or may not have consulted with Zhalia, but Gar-Ghoul furled his wings. With a roar, he shot high-pressure water at Shakrit, who barely dodged with a hiss and got it's attention, flying up quickly. However, just then, the air around Shakrit began to cool rapidly, visible in the way it started to swirl heavily. Then the snake's wings began freezing over slowly, the Titan hissing as it thrashed, trying to keep itself warm but the ice spreading down from the top. Shakrit didn't notice of light coming toward them, then it reached a position directly over the snake's head. Den didn't wait for it to touch down-

"Tyrannos!" he called, hand held high.

The burst of light instantly turned into Tyrannos, who had a moment of readiness for blood, before he began to adjust to the fact that he was _literally in mid-air_ \- emphasis on 'began'. Den quickly reached out to the dinosaur, showing his plan and confidence that he could do it.

"Diving Crash!"

With a growl, Tyrannos angled his body forward, literally head-first as he sped up; Shakrit only had enough time to see the shadow before-

-Tyrannos roared, biting down on Shakrit's main body (the screech was something to be heard), forcefully pulling the Titan down with him. The heavyweights tumbled in mid-fall, Shakrit struggling to escape Tyranno's grip, including biting his flank. Tyrannos growled at the pain, but worked through it and kept Shakrit pinned in his teeth, while thrashing them about. Eventually, the ground rushing to meet them the entire time, the dinosaur Titan just managed to get Shakrit underneath his form-

 _Crash_

They could feel the impact from there, and Gar-Ghoul folded a wing in front, protecting him from the sheer wind + debris - vaguely, Den felt Gar-Ghoul give him a brief mental image; Kilthane doing the same thing with Zhalia, using his shield and leaving himself to face the brunt. At the same time, Den reached out to Tyrannos, and saw the scene through his eyes. Still winded by the impact himself, Tyrannos somehow managed to get to it's large feet with great effort, wobbling in place but starting to move up the crater (though his vision was spiraling at first). Radiating from the Titan were mixed emotions, including some major annoyance at suddenly being put in mid-air like that, but largely satisfaction.

Well, couldn't blame him for that - meanwhile, Gar-Ghoul removed his wing, and Zhalia stepped out from behind Kilthane's shield.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"Always" Den answered, Kilthane and Gar-Ghoul at the ready.

Rocks stirred in the middle of the crater, then Shakrit managed to get up, flying with effort - one look (and growl) proved beyond all doubt the Titan was _really_ pissed off. With another growl, it flew straight at them at them-

They tensed...

-and then exactly like it was yanked, Shakrit forcibly turned into a burst of light, and flew off in the opposite direction.

Silence, during which they all stared after the streaking point of light.

"Wha-?" Den breathed, stunned. "What the hell was _that!?_ "

Zhalia slowly slumped, annoyed. "His Seeker called him, for what we don't know" she said irritatedly, pushing strands out of her eyes. "I don't know if that confirms that he's Wind's, but he disappointed and annoyed all of us here without knowing it."

"Yeah, I'll say" Den said out loud, distinctly aware of the turbulent emotions of Tyrannos; he was a creature of instinct. Therefore he absolutely hated losing AND their opponents getting away, much less fleeing, even if unintentionally. "So what now?"

Zhalia put a hand on her hip, glancing at the free-for-all below them, which was still going on, completely oblivious to the incident up here. "Well, I don't think many of those are gonna bother us" she continued slowly, before pulling out an amulet. "And before we send our Titans away, I should check on Lernaean Hydra-"

"About his ninth head" he said grimly, remembering that moment vividly. Zhalia merely nodded, then one summon-and-wait session later ( _"Strike fear, Lernaean Hydra!"_ ), the snake Titan appeared before them appeared before them - however, the stump of it's ninth head appeared higher than he remembered from the attack.

When he questioned that, Zhalia scoffed slightly, due to the annoyance. "As I thought, it regrows naturally" she said. "However, what he failed to mention to me is that it can be sped up at my command, at the cost of energy."

Lernaean Hydra's heads hissed a little, almost dismissive - Zhalia's reaction suggested that the Titan had been trying to spare her the trouble, or maybe that it thought there was no need; something of that sort.

 _"Right, 'mention'"_ Den thought, but he looked at Kilthane, who now he saw had Powerbonded. Pretty cool, though a shame it happened just before a _lot_ of bad timing - but he'd have another chance, he was sure. Still, even as Zhalia had Lernaean Hydra begin the process of regrowing it's ninth head, a thought (re)occurred to Den. He'd had little trouble commanding Tyrannos or his other Titans, and yet when trying the process with his friends, he was unsure of himself. But why? What was the real difference between the two?

 _"Is it because I'm unsure of myself?"_ he thought, disgruntled, which helped (indirectly) ease Tyrannos. _"No, that can't be it, but if not what is?"_

Right now, he had no answer, and it was driving him crazy.

 _"Sorta a random time for that thought to reoccur though..."_

* * *

 _Slightly later_

Waiting patiently, Wind saw the light coming straight at him.

"About time" Shauna snapped just across from him. "We'll need more training to be ready."

He did nothing, and Shakrit appeared before him - however, something was wrong; the Titan was half-feral with rage, and it's movements were unrestrained. Shauna instinctively moved to put him down before things got out of control, but he held out a hand, running straight at him. Shakrit saw him, but his tail was in the way, and he jumped over that. He still recognized him, but rage fueled Shakrit right now; he would have to work fast. The Titan moved to bite him, and he worked fast, encasing his hands to stone-

It's fangs barely an inch from him, and straining, he held it's jaws open with his hands.

Working fast, he worked to get through to the Titan-

-in the ensuing floodgate, he saw flashes of images, mostly of battle. It didn't mean much to him, until he saw Zhalia Moon and Den Fears, then he understood - particularly when he saw that he'd unintentionally pulled him away in the middle of battle.

Yeah, he hated that too.

He would soothe his Titan, but for now, he looked back at Shauna, who remained disgruntled - but as soon as she heard him, a savage grin overtook that. "Good" she said, before speaking into a headset. "Blood Spirals! Find me a group who's available! We have Huntik Foundation crew nearby that we can fight for sport-"

Wind heard, but worked for now to soothe Shakrit; this rage he understood, but it would only distract them. Still, he sympathized with his Titan; even at the time of battle, they wanted to cut loose. But they could not yet, as per orders. No mistakes could be made, until their plans came together - only then could they go all-out, and even then, only if they felt victory could be realistically achieved. The heroes had the unconscious habit of winning anyway, and would need to be carefully observed during the final battle.

If they could not achieve it at that time, no matter: they would still win from the shadows, using that same habit.

* * *

"You guys again? _Bladewave!_ "

The spell blasted the ground underneath the two soldiers, who were thrown away - behind Harrison, Antedeluvian held off the shadow + real swords of a Shadow Kulit. Meanwhile, multiple clangs sounded through the area as Viviane held up an Armorforged shield, blocking the spells of a soldier. Then with a yell, she rushed forward, bashing the soldier in the gut and sending him away - behind her, Mythras used a mouth beam and blasted at a Midnight Rook trying to peck his eyes out. But those were hardly their only opponents.

"You're not so bad yourself" he noted, during one moment where they were side-by-side.

"I'm the Lady of the Lake" Viviane answered, breathing heavily, but fiercely determined all things considered. "I have to be."

Even as she said it, two Psikofens tried to chain her up from behind - however, Mallory and White's swords intercepted them, protecting their backs. _"Kindlestrike!"_ one of them blasted.

Harrison heard a caw, and saw the Midnight Rook return out of the corner of his eye, and he grinned; good. Mythras was quick in returning to Viviane's side, growling at the group in front of them (six Silent Soldiers, a Dark Pharoah, two Marauders, Nightlurker, and even an Ignatius + Hellynx). He quickly glanced back, but Antedeluvian was holding his own, slashing aside the Shadow Kulit's shadow-swords. _"But while he's engaged, we'll need more than that"_ he thought, before pulling out an amulet.

 _"Corrupt everything, Jericho!"_

Viviane glanced at him during this, but recognized what she'd have to do - and just in time; Nightlurker was coming straight at them, followed soon by the others.

Mythras ran forward, swatting the Titan aside with a paw - it veered off sharply, but stabilized and came in hot, ramming Mythras backward as they struggled. _"Nullcurse!"_ a number of them called, but Viviane stepped forward: _"Honorguard!"_ Around this struggle, Harrison aimed at one soldier: _"Drybite!"_ , blasting him backward before the downed soldier clawed at his chest, very uncomfortable now. _"Fireswarm!"_ he called out again, aiming at another, who dodged it and returned fire. He heard a roar of pain, but then there was a bright flash of light and a Titan returned to a soldier - Mythras soon joined them, and it was clear Nightlurker had wounded him. It didn't slow him down though.

...

Behind the shield, Viviane grunted, then it faded and a Darkwave slammed her backward. She shook her head, quickly getting back up and seeing Hellynx/Ignatius on her. _"Kindlestrike!"_ she called, trying to blast the cat, but it was too quick for the spell; least it grazed Ignatius's arm though. "Mythras!" she called, but she felt him too far away from his battle with Nightlurker. She needed more time-

Hellynx came straight at her with incredible speed; she couldn't move her shield fast enough to avoid it entirely.

 _Just_ as it slashed at her, she moved backward as fast as she could, but the claw snagged her arm, drawing a line of blood and tearing her sleeve. She backpedaled quickly, putting a hand to the ground. _"Earthshaker!"_

The ground rumbled beneath the two Titans, leaving them reeling and looking for safe purchase - what they didn't see coming were the rocks that suddenly jutted out from the sides. Ignatius couldn't avoid his, and was quickly sent to her right... Hellynx's cat instincts allowed it to move just at impact, was still sent flailing, but got to it's feet faster. Viviane got behind her shield, briefly confusing it and Ignatius (who she kept her eye on)... then there was a big screech as Hellynx was blasted from behind, the impact whipping at her clothes even from behind the shield.

She glanced up and over, seeing Mythras roaring to the sky.

Drawing a breath, smiling a bit, she got up, shield at the ready as her hand cackled with blue energy. "Now then-" she breathed faintly, aiming it at Ignatius. _"Kindlestrike!"_

...

Back to Harrison, he'd put down all the soldiers with effort, leaving the Spiral's Titans milling about in confusion; without orders, they only had their instincts to go on. Still, while he was fine (just tired), Antedeluvian was not; he was being ganged-up on by Dark Pharoah, those two Marauders AND the still-around-yet-slow Shadow Kulit - he couldn't take too many more hits.

And Jericho still had to show; where was he!?

 _"Doublespell! Darkfog!"_ Harrison called out, running toward the battle. He hit one Marauder (who grunted and blindly flailed around), but the other one saw this coming and dodged. Antedeluvian struggled in the grasp of Dark Pharoah's sucking vortex, using a sword to help keep his feet on the ground, but this made it more difficult to fend off Shadow Kulit's attacks (which while slowed, were still dangerous). Antedeluvian blocked one, two, three, four strikes before the fifth got past his sword- Harrison staggered from the phantom stab wound, as did Antedeluvian, but it made no difference. The Titan took his non-grounded sword and threw it at Shadow Kulit, who didn't have enough time to dodge.

Shadow Kulit returned to it's Seeker, then with a fierce glare, Antedeluvian pulled his non-grounded sword out of the ground, letting Dark Pharoah pull him in. Before that though, he raised his sword just right-

Despite it's body being made of sand, the sword stroke home, right in the Titan's skull.

Dark Pharoah disappeared instantly, leaving the Powerbonded Titan to pant, before he finally collapsed. He didn't 'return', but he didn't stir either.

"No!" Harrison called out, anguished, then completely enraged. However, just before he could whip the two Marauders into next week, a light finally crashed down-

Made entirely of bones, Jericho nonetheless wasn't a normal skeleton; his 'torso' was far too wide for that. In addition, he held two extra-large bone spears, tucked away during the summoning but ready for use at any time. His gaze was a perpetual glare, and the eyes were constantly red.

"Alright, now it's time to get even!" Harrison called.

...

Viviane heard that yell in the distance, but she was too busy ducking behind her shield, trying to fend off the Titan's heat blast - already sweating profusely, she soon might be cooked. Couldn't even get a shot off from here, and couldn't reach the ground like this without moving the shield, the result of which might scorch her-

 _"Kindlestrike!x2"_

Ignatius growled at the hits, dissipating the heat blast enough that she could move again - she knew them by voice alone. "Now, together!" she called to her bodyguards, who had otherwise taken care of the others. _"Bubbleshot!"_

 _"Bubbleshot!x2"_

Unlike forming the water around the target, or yourself, this one quite literally shot water out of their palms like hoses. Ignatius came close to screeching at the assault, his form steaming and hissing from the triple contact as it futilely tried to block.

Studying Gar-Ghoul's methods had certainly helped, though he remained the master in that area.

Before long, Ignatius could no longer take it, and disappeared in a burst of light.

Breathing heavily, Viviane just realized it was over... then her legs promptly came together, knocking together repeatedly as she nearly whimpered, the adrenaline starting to wear off.

It really wasn't fair; she was barely a teenager going through puberty now, and still fighting scared her. She could handle herself, and had handled herself numerous times now, but it was still overwhelming at points - she far preferred the more soothing tones of being the Lady of the Lake, and handling lesser jobs. But she knew she couldn't be weak; Sophie and the Huntik Foundation needed their help! So she had to get better at this... Uneasily taking a breath, she tried to calm down, and it partly worked; her legs were no longer knocking together, but she still felt uneasy.

"My lady! - Are you alright?"

"Yes" she said faintly, before clearing her throat a little. "Y-Yes, I'm fine, just a minor wound" she said, looking at her torn sleeve, the cut of which still bleeding shallowly; could wait. "But please, Harrison still needs help; let's go."

...

The blinded Marauder was currently down, where Harrison quickly blasted it with _"Raypulse!"_ , but it still remained standing. Meanwhile, Jericho fought to tear off the other Marauder that cling to his torso, both Titans glaring daggers at each other. Still, that Marauder seemed to have a preternatural sense of dodging, as ever stab attempt with the bone spears only hit empty space (or glanced off Jericho's own structure). All the while, a claw wound on his right arm throbbed and bled, but Harrison ignored it.

He saw Jericho's battle, and meant to end it, but he didn't want his Darkfog to wear off, and have the first Maruder stab him in the back. _"Doublespell!"_ he called, aimed at the downed Titan. _"Boltflare!"_

The Titan thrashed from the assault, but managed to stand up, swinging wildly at what he could not see.

Harrison ducked under that, then got in close: _"Dragonfist!"_

Marauder went flying backward, then- yes, he returned back!

Quickly recovering himself, he whirled around, panting heavily - he saw that Jericho had scored a hit, but the other Marauder clung on for dear life. _"Not for much longer!"_

"Harrison!"

Glancing behind him, he saw Viviane and her two bodyguards approaching. "Help me separate those two!" he called. "But avoid Jericho, as he's mine!"

"You got it!" she called, even as she skidded near him. "Mallory! White! Flank them!"

Even as the two worked, Harrison sent a mental image to Jericho, telling him that help was on the way. In the meantime, he and Viviane watched closely as the two Titans thrashed around, currently with Jericho's large back open to them. Mallory and White moved circles around this from opposite directions, before they ran straight at the two - and to the Titans' great surprise, they leapt onto Jericho himself (who while not pleased, allowed this), leaving Marauder to try and stab one of them.

White dodged carefully, but this allowed Mallory to grab his extended cutlass and hold him in place. _"Forceburn!x2"_ they both cried.

The spell blasted Marauder off Jericho, but everyone else remained unaffected, as it just passed right through them. At that moment, the two men leapt off Jericho, who went in for the kill-

The two of them looked away at the flash of light, but soon were relieved; it was over. Just as relieved-if-exhausted, Mallory and White (and Jericho) slowly came over toward them.

"Well" Harrison breathed faintly, shaking his head, amulets in hand. "That should do for now; take a rest."

With bursts of light, Jericho and Antedeluvian returned to their amulets, one right after the other. Well, not really returned, per se - as he understood it, in here, they simply went back to where they were pulled from. The returning light was just a visual representation that was held over, somehow. Beside him, Viviane slowly did the same with Mythras.

"All right, Mallory, White, round up those soldiers" she ordered, though gently. "And be ready to-"

"Ah!"

"Harrison?" she asked, worried and confused when he clutched his arm, which was briefly glowing red. Grunting a bit, he pulled back his sleeve; his Spiral Mark -where the claw wound was - had come back.

Exchanging a look with her, Viviane slowly nodded, understanding. With gestures only, she had Mallory and White do their task of rounding up the soldiers (using a spell like Curselock, though they missed a few soldiers who returned). They did so while silent and/or out of his hearing range - at the same time, Harrison started walking back toward the beachhead. Time for another round of mark suppression; joy... least they were nearby though; a quick blast of Hyperstride and he'd be there in minutes.

Still, he noted something: the claw lines in his arm went straight through the mark. However, despite this, the mark itself was unaffected by his open skin, nor was it marred by the blood (minor as the wound was).

Just what the heck _is_ this mark?

* * *

"So what now?" Den asked faintly, carefully observing the free-for-all that was still going on below them – their hits must be glancing, as part of a mock-fight, to have gone on this long. "I think it's clear that they're too interested in each other to notice us up here... and despite the minor power 'earthquakes', they're not really causing any damage to be concerned over."

"True enough" Zhalia answered, stretching out her muscles, who had quite a workout earlier due to the fight. "However, give it about five minutes for us to recover, then we'll go back; I don't wish to linger if that was Wind's Shakrit."

Den made a slight grunt of acknowledgement, still on his stomach overlooking their outcropping, and the free-for-all.

While he was turned, she dug into her pack silently, taking out her Holotome-

-she was probably insane, and her timing would no doubt be awful... but like she'd asked herself before, was it really worth it? And best to use the time for something other than just sitting around, bad timing or not.

While it rang (quite a bit longer than she'd expected; minutes at least), she dug out the ear pieces to listen to it privately... then the call got through.

 _"Well, I called you at a bad time"_ Dante said mildly, his Holotome image green, _"and now you've called me at an interesting time. Is this payback?"_

Her lip curved a bit, but otherwise Zhalia let that slide. "What do you mean by 'interesting', Dante?" she asked, just to be sure.

A little motion blur as he moved his Holotome, where to her surprise, showed the scen of Harrison being treated for his Spiral Mark, by LeBlanche no less. When did he learn Curselock? Wait, Dante must have shared the knowledge; it was so much like him. Anyway, Harrison saw her and had much the same reaction; _"Hey, Zhalia"_ he greeted, managing a smile, even as his body jerked under the spell work. _"What's new with you?"_

"Scouting the Spirit World for more Legendary Titans, to gear up for our meeting with The Professor" she answered, lip curving. "And you?"

Harrison merely gestured at his Spiral Mark, and the spellwork being done upon it, but it was fairly teasing. "Oh well, we've established the beachhead, and we're being attacked by Blood Spiral goons at numerous times; we're keeping an eye on them though."

Then the Holotome turned around again: _"Indeed we are"_ Dante added mildly. _"I don't think you called just for that though"_ Dante said, with a playfully raised eyebrow.

Aware of Harrison's presence near Dante, she couldn't bring herself to say it, not publicly at least. Her struggle must have been reflected in her face, because Dante spotted it, then glanced to his left for a bit. _"Is Den nearby?"_ he asked in an undertone.

"Fifteen feet away from me, in fact."

Dante hummed a bit, very much under his breath, and she could only hear it because he was so close. _"Wait for a minute, and let me get things in order"_ he said, smiling a bit, then his image vanished - however, the call didn't; it was still ongoing, but apparently Dante had just stepped out of it's range.

Not sure what he was doing, but trusting him anyway, Zhalia slowly waited. At the same time, her heart beat faster than it normally did, but at least it wasn't hammering... then minutes later, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Den react. Then he dug into his own pack, and pulled out his Holotome, which she very faintly saw was beeping.

Well well well.

"Harrison!"

 _"Is that all you have to say, Den? We're both in the Spirit World for crying out loud."_

Den laughed, and Zhalia smiled a bit from her spot, before Dante came back to their still-ongoing call.

"Gave Harrison the slip huh" she said rhetorically.

He chuckled. _"I said that you had important information, so I had to hear this alone at first - then I 'casually' suggested Harrison get the updates from his brother, which he could see well enough."_

"Yeah, thanks for that" she said faintly, but still sincere.

 _"Well, I had to do something"_ Dante merely answered, softening. _"Even the slightest distractions can change things."_

Despite the ambiguous wording, she knew he meant about her efforts to tell him something - very smart of him. Her jaw worked a little, then: "Dante-" she breathed, faltering for a bit.

He merely listened, letting let her talk.

"...am I being silly?"

Dante slowly raised an eyebrow.

She made a sound. "I mean, you and I, we're not really that much of a secret" she said, not able to stop suddenly. "Lok, Sophie, Den, Cherit and who knows else are all aware about us, in some sense or another, and I think you know that... why am I trying so hard to keep it a secret then?"

His little smile was soft. _"Because you're unsure, Zhalia"_ he said gently. _"Might even call it shy."_

Her cheeks heated, but she didn't look away.

 _"But more than that, you were trying to see what worked best for your confidence"_ he continued. _"An experiment, if you will. And I agreed, knowing that neither of us could do anything unless we were both cool with it - the only thing I don't know is your final answer."_

"A-And that's why I called" she said, a little weak at first, before she consciously corrected it. "Dante, I-"

She faltered again, but he was patient.

"I think I'd- I-I might be okay. If everyone knew."

Dante smiled a little more. _"Even if that's all, that's a lot of progress all it's own"_ he said gently.

"It might not... it might not be all of it though" Zhalia added, every word forced, but in a sorta-good way.

Now surprised, Dante looked at her carefully. _"Really?"_ he asked, intent.

Her heart was pounding now, no way about it. "I- Ah!"

"Zhalia?"

She couldn't answer; Gareon's vision had slipped over hers... a group of Blood Spiral soldiers, a large one... led by Shauna!

Pulling herself out of it, jolted and breathing heavily, Zhalia held up her Holotome. "Trouble" she said, half-serious, half-apologetic.

He was disappointed, but Dante nodded. _"Do what you have to do"_ he merely said, before his image and the call ended.

Carefully packing it again, she twisted behind her. "Den!" she called; they needed to get back to Lok and the others fast.

/

"You're sure we can trust this Titan, Eathon?"

"Positive, Sophie."

"If we can't trust his word, we can't trust anyone's!"

"Ah come on, Cherit-"

Cathy heard all that, but in the back of her mind, because the blood was rushing through her ears. That and the wind, which was from her ducking underneath a slash, then Ironsquire forced Shadow backward. Panting a bit, she straightened and aimed: _"Boltflare!"_

Shadow staggered back, but soon found Ironsquire on him, using his shield as an impromptu weapon. The area rang with clangs, Shadow deflecting his blows and Ironsquire keeping up the pressure, while she tried to find an opening. Then Ironsquire charged forward, bashing into Shadow, who despite being pushed back managed to get his hands on the shield, even as his wrist-blades dug into the metal. They struggled together, before Shadow threw the shield out of Ironsquire's grip - and in the ensuing opening, was kicked away in the opposite direction. However, just as Ironsquire got up, anticipating an attack - Shadow moved toward her instead.

Breathing out a little, fearful (his near-hits weren't any less scary), she tried to get a ready position, but he was coming in fast!

He drew back a blade, aiming to slash somewhere near her shoulder-

She drew herself to the side, managing to dodge it. _"R-Raypulse!"_ she cried out, hitting him, but his other fist came in despite that.

"Ah!"

Sent to the ground by the backhanded blow (his blade would have pierced her otherwise), she rolled for a bit before stopping on her back, breathing heavily as she realized Shadow was standing over her. Seeing him very close, his foot inches from her right leg, and his wrist-blades gleaming slightly in the light, the panic briefly rose. Despite her heavy breathing, Shadow only regarded her, and while moving around a bit, didn't make any sudden movements. He really wouldn't hurt her, just like dad had said – though apparently this didn't include the odd glancing blow.

 _"But he's still testing me!"_ Cathy felt, somewhere deeper than the small panic.

Seeing his foot that close, she threw up her hands instinctively. _"Armorbrand!"_

The energy shield formed, but instead of hitting Shadow (who was just far enough away), the energy closed directly on his leg. With a jolt, the energy crackled heavily, Shadow writhing in it's grip before he fell backward.

"Ironsquire!" she called, not noticing the energy that came over her.

It happened in seconds; Ironsquire's shield had been thrown from fifteen feet away, landing smack against Shadow and staggering him.

 _"Touchram!"_

Shadow staggered back further, but retained enough sense of mind to turn back toward her, raising a blade-

Clang!

Heavily surprised (her and Shadow), she saw Ironsquire above her, holding the other Titan's arm with both of his hands. But how did he get here so fast; that was fifteen feet!

Her answer came when Ironsquire changed before her eyes.

Where before he'd been mainly orange and steel-blue, that color scheme changed radically. The orange disappeared completely, 'rusting' to steel-blue all over it's body, though it's red eyes stayed completely the same. In place of this, his previous steel-blue armor had turned golden - and it had grown further in places, particularly the chest and lower regions, though touches of steel-blue remained. The thinner sections of his arms and legs had thickened by a number of inches, but the connect sections remained as small as ever. He still wielded his shield, mostly unchanged save the color scheme, but it was a touch more square-shaped than it had been. His right hand remained unarmed, but the fist was now covered in flexible armor, which Ironsquire wasted no time in testing.

"What?" Cathy breathed, halfway to disbelief, and then some! " _A-Already!?_ How!?"

She knew their bond had been strong from the get-go, but this was something else! She hadn't been expecting that to happen for a long time, if at all!

Shadow merely grunted with satisfaction, his wrist-blades still straining against Ironsquire's shield.

Cathy made a sound, having briefly seen something over her vision. Wait, that was-

Then she understood instinctively, getting ready. "N-Now!"

With a show of strength, Ironsquire shoved Shadow forward, pushing him back several feet - then he threw his shield at him. Shadow managed to avoid the bulk of that impact, but Ironsquire held out it's armored fist, which began to glow... then his shield began to do the same, before telekinetically moving on it's own, whacking Shadow from the side. The Titan staggered from this, keeping an eye on it, but managed to see Ironsquire charging at him, fist ready to strike (the glowing one remained tucked in at it's side). Shadow moved quickly, dodging the punch, which sent Ironsquire off-balance, and Shadow took advantage by stabbing him in the back.

Good thing his armor protected him, so it wasn't a big hit, but Ironsquire was still sent to the ground.

 _"Boltflare!"_

Shadow grunted, turning to face her; she was running straight at him, but he was ready.

 _"Armorbrand!"_

Startling it, literally using the shield as her attack, Shadow went flying from impact. Even as did so, Ironsquire got up on one knee, using it's armored fist again...

By the time Shadow recovered enough, he found itself pinned beneath Ironsquire's shield - no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move more than an inch from under it, both straining. Still breathing heavily, she quickly walked around so it's side, looking down at it and it at her.

Then he moved quickly-

By sheer instinct, she caught his arm just as it came up toward her from the ground, with both hands. The wrist-blade stopped inches from her throat, but not because of her efforts; she'd been a quarter-second late. Still, he had stopped his attack there, letting her grab his arm - just to see how she reacted when her guard was down. Despite knowing he wouldn't really hurt her, she was still rattled on the inside, and her breathing + sounds matched. He saw this, she thought, but she still managed to calm herself slightly, with Ironsquire helping her out.

Shadow regarded her a moment longer, then he grunted. Next thing she knew, an amulet appeared directly in front of her, dark and shadow-like in it's curves - letting go of Shadow's arm, she looked at it.

This was it.

Arm shaking a little from loss of energy and the fight itself, she touched it with her fingers-

She grunted, the amulet glowing a gray shade of purple as she instinctively fought... this was the proving of her will, just like Springer, except more intense is all. She felt Shadow's mindset, and his desires; he was all about the battles, and how well he could read his target, and the thrill of the sneaking/battle efforts. She couldn't fully reconcile herself with that point-of-view, but she knew she didn't have to; he just needed to see her strength, and they simply needed to connect. _"Protectiveness"_ she thought, panting. _"Yeah... protectiveness."_

She fought to include that in her mind, how strong she felt about protecting her family, and her friends. To do so, even when the fear overwhelmed her, among everything else...

The process took at least thirty seconds, but it was hard to tell-

Finally though, the effort ended, causing her to stumble a little - the glow faded from Shadow's amulet, falling into the palm of her hand; he had accepted her.

 _"Oh, wow..."_

Cathy sank to her knees, slowly shaking with relief, instinctively catching the amulet as it landed in her palms. Eventually, she became aware that Ironsquire had gotten closer, bending down next to her and radiating approval.

She just slowly breathed out, relieved.

* * *

"Mind telling me _where_ your little friends are?"

Wind didn't say anything, merely gave him a look, causing The Professor to grunt; they could have least kept a more talkative member around. Still, Shauna was out to cause destruction and mayhem with those brats that put him in here, and the others were finding something important to their plans. Both of their plans-

 _"Yes, but once they 'succeed', or so they think, I shall wrest that control and destroy them!"_

"We're back! And about time!"

"Nngh."

He looked, as did Wind; Murdock and Kiel had returned, the former holding a chest they'd brought with them. "Your progress?" he demanded brusquely.

"Very good" Kiel exclaimed, like the loudmouth he was. "Now we have the means to end things!"

"It'll take time to implement them though" Murdock said, clearly taking a lot of effort to remain calm around his 'partner'.

"Regardless, let me see" he said, getting up and opening the chest himself - inside was a big pile of ashes, which upon the chest's opening, struggled to reform - however, Murdock kept it from doing so, his mark glowing in the process. The Professor merely ignored this struggle and held his hand over it, palm glowing a dark-purple as he scanned...

At the end, a 3d image formed above the ashes; that of a black jaguar, with orange and cream-colored armor over most of it's body, moving and snarling ferociously. Umbra, Legendary Titan of Dimensions-

-what was left of him, at least.

As the seconds went by, the image of Umbra thrashed about more, as if it knew that it was about to be used for nefarious purposes.

 _"Like it's gonna make a difference"_ he thought savagely, confident. _"This Titan remains dead for now, but his ashes will still have a use for our purposes."_

Behind Kiel and himself though, Murdock handed something to Wind, making sure they couldn't see - a brief red glow came over him, and Wind nodded, slipping the artifact into his clothes quickly. For a moment though, it had been visible; fairly big, perfectly round, with four gems set in the middle.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **How's that for a curveball, hehe XD Well, several in this case lol, for those who understand the details of the last sentence.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	18. Dusting Off

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The climatic battle between Cathy and Shadow began in earnest, the Titan purposefully holding back as it tested her. Despite her inexperience, Cathy's efforts were sincere, and enough to satisfy the Titan - in addition, her strong bond allowed Ironsquire to powerbond. At the same time, Zhalia and Den were dragged into a free-for-all during scouting. However, the battle was cut short when one contestant, Wind's Shakrit, was forcibly removed from the battle. Realizing that they could soon be found, they prepare to move quickly, even as the Blood Spiral leadership gains a disturbing keepsake.**

* * *

 _"Dusting Off"_

 _Episode 70_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

 _"Powerbonded Ironsquire. Attack: 3; Defense: 5; Size: Average; Type: Draco-Titan Warrior; Special Ability: Flexible Defense."_

"I'll say it's flexible" Cherit said beside him, hovering just over the Holotome. "You can hardly get more flexible than a shield you can control from a distance!"

Lok chuckled, agreeing, but he was just relieved that the battle was over.

Sure, he was proud of his sister (really), but seeing her fight that close with a Titan (even if it held back entirely) had made him tense all over. Plus Sophie must have seen this, because she touched a hand to his arm, with a small understanding smile. He lightly touched her hand back, for a moment anyway... still, the fact that she was showing similar emotions didn't escape his notice. After all, she'd been running up as fast she could, due to a vision that looked bad, but hadn't actually been in context.

On the other note, Cathy had to have set a record for fastest Powerbonding, even if they all agreed that it wasn't likely to happen again.

"You did it, Cathy, just like I knew you would."

Cathy just made a weak-yet-thankful sound, sitting on the ground beside their dad. "Well, I- I did well enough, I guess" she said, before shaking her head a bit. "Sorry! I just-! ...mmh."

Eathon merely put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Cathy; you did well under any circumstances" he said soothingly, that helping. "And it does get easier."

"Well, until then, I just really want to stay sitting right now" his sister said, adjusting on her legs.

"Well, while we do that" Sophie answered, glancing at him. "Lok here can give us his 'plan' on what to do next" she continued, air-quoting the word.

"Hah hah hah" he breathed sarcastically, before smiling again. "And anyway, the plan is simple: after the group's all back here, and recovered, we go on to the next Legendary Titan. Easy."

"In theory" Sophie snarked, smirking.

He playfully rolled his eyes, but resisted returning fire. "Yes, in theory" he said mildly. "But will still take some effort regardless. Now then-"

"Come on!"

They all jolted at the voice, faint-from-distance as it was.

Cherit hovered above them now. "Was that Den's voice?" he wondered, putting a hand to his ear.

"I'm not sure, but-" Sophie started to say, even as Cathy turned on her spot to look.

They soon got their answer when Den jumped a great distance in the air via Hyperstride, followed by Zhalia, keeping up via Shadowspeed. They were still a little distance away, but Lok quickly closed his Holotome; this didn't seem good. "Get ready for anything" he said quickly.

Den was first onto the scene, panting a bit from the efforts. "Guys" he tried to say, before his breath stopped that; Zhalia skidded to a stop right beside him. She finished Den's sentence: "Blood Spirals!"

"What!?" they pretty much all said, in addition to Cherit's 'Oh dear!'

"Gareon saw them" Zhalia said, also out-of-breath, but less than Den. "They were heading straight for us-"

"And we got away, but I don't doubt - hah, hah - that they're tracking us!" Den continued, best he could. "We have to move, now!"

The small group basically got down to business, except for Cathy, who was slow to do so (mainly due to her weak groan). "How did they find you though?" Sophie asked, pulling her arms through her pack's straps.

"That skirmish we investigated? It involved Wind's Shakrit" Zhalia answered, to the group-save-Cathy-and-Eathon's shock. "We fought, but he was yanked back by his Seeker mid-battle - I have little doubt that's how, and tracking us from there to here would be child's play."

"Damn" Den cursed, trying to erase any trace of their site.

"It'll still be okay" Lok said bracingly, but feeling tense; it was going to be close. "We'll get away and lose them-"

"Oh, you think it will be that easy, boy?"

Whirling around (all of them), his heart fell with dread, seeing the one smirk he'd hoped never to see again. "Shauna" Lok breathed, grunting; _how_ did she get upon them so silently!?

"And of course, I am hardly alone" Shauna continued, from her place in the tree branch. "I have a force with me."

"Well, I don't see them" Sophie shot back, hand near her hip, ready for anything.

Shauna merely smirked again, expression one of satisfaction. "Exactly."

The way she said that gave him an ominous chill.

It must have shown on his expression (or all of them), because Shauna laughed hard. "I would have thought one demonstration was enough for you" she taunted, raising a fist. "You think our Soldiers were just being polite before, becoming visible to your words?"

Then her fist began to glow on it's own with Acidheart's energy!

"But how!?" Cherit exclaimed, at the same time he was thinking that; she hadn't spoken at all.

If that wasn't a one-time thing, they were in even _worse_ trouble; he'd hate to have two enemy Seekers who could fight/summon without speaking!

Shauna grinned savagely, standing up on the branch. "I have learned a few tricks" she said with satisfaction, before aiming straight at them-

By sheer instinct, they all jumped to safety (Eathon used Armorbrand over Cathy) - they were barely in time.

 _"Nullcurse!x3 - Newfury!x2 - Bladewave!x2"_

The mass of spells made it impossible to tell what was going on, and those was just the ones he heard! He coughed at the rush of dust in his throat, and could hear Sophie and Den doing the same nearby, if not everyone - still, his instincts sharp, he got up anyway. Shauna was still up in the tree, and the soldiers were still invisible... but now that he knew what he was looking for, Lok saw the effects of their weight on the ground (jumping down from the tree, that was). Really really bad, but better than nothing, if they weren't outmatched!

"Everyone okay!?"

Coughing was the general answer, but mainly dazed; good.

"Lok, take Cathy and your team; head for the Legendary Titan."

"Dad, you can't take them by yourself!"

"I've got to try" dad said grimly, standing in front of them, even as Zhalia helped up Cathy behind them.

Shauna laughed, with some small reinforcement from the other soldiers. "A heroic gesture, but pointless Eathon Lambert" she said smugly. "Even with help, we'll crush you flat-"

 _"Raypulse!"_

Shauna quickly moved up a branch, looking at the smoldering spot for a moment before back - meanwhile, _everyone_ was thrown by the surprise attack. Including Cathy herself, even more than them, her hand steaming slightly.

Lok had seen part of the fury on her face though... and if he saw dad's expression right, he had too.

Shauna merely smirked again, making them all tense up (Cathy just had a little start), chuckling. "Much as I admire gall, that proves a point; the time for talking is over" she said, summoning another silent Acidheart energy and preparing to throw it-

 _"Forceimpact!"_

There were solid (and surprisingly loud) thunks of metal striking wood. Lok looked quickly, and was surprised to see two double-bladed axes embedded at the base of the tree... glowing a bright yellow.

Then they exploded.

The explosion's force was so great, the tree literally lost a giant chunk of it's roots, throwing up a great cloud of dust and forcing Shauna to hang on as the tree trembled ominously. By instinct, the entire team quickly backed away as it swayed, even as the still-invisible Silent Soldiers wobbled from the shaking ground near it.

 _"Windburst!_ " came a second, differently-voiced spell.

As the name suggested, a concentrated burst of wind struck the ground, knocking over a few soldiers in the process (the cries were telling). But more than that, it also rapidly dispersed the dust cloud all over, concealing most everyone from everyone else's sights! The bad news was that the dust came over them again, forcing them to cough and cover their eyes, and he wearily saw Cherit trying to flap it away. However, coughing from a soldier nearby drew his attention, and he looked instinctively - he still saw nothing... except a lot of dust clinging to invisible silhouettes!

If that was the plan, then brilliant! If not, still thanks for distracting them!

Even as Lok thought this, the tree toppled with a great impact (thankfully AWAY from them!) that made his ears ring, further throwing up dust and debris. He didn't know where Shauna went, but he doubted that had taken her down.

"Okay, can someone tell me who the heck saved us!?"

 _"Took the words right out of my mouth Den"_ Lok thought, but he tried to get it together; they had to make plans while they had the chance! Luckily getting things together took all of three seconds.

"Everyone okay?"

"Y-Yeah, dad" Cathy breathed, still sorta-terrified, but the fear was fueling her reflexes instead of paralyzing her, so that was good. "But what-?"

Even as she asked it, two figures strode out of the dust toward them- very familiar ones.

"I heard you needed some help!" Montehue said, with a good-natured grin, holding up one axe over his shoulder. "Hope we're not late."

"Least we've given you some cover" Tersly noted, sorta sheepishly, but still keeping an eye on the battlefield (and them at the same time).

"Alright!" Lok cheered, grinning a bit, before he realized Dad and Cathy didn't know them. "Everyone who doesn't know, this is Montehue, friendly rival of Dante Vale - and Tersly, Montehue's assistant and friend" he added quickly, for their benefit.

Then his dad stepped forward, all seriousness. "And I'd love to catch up later, but now, we need to move" he said, before to Montehue and Tersly: "You ready to fight?"

"Always" Montehue boasted proudly, while Tersly's answer was rather meek, least by comparison.

This didn't deter dad, and he glanced behind him, directly at Cherit-

-who jolted at something, blinking before: "Everyone! Follow me!"

"What, but-?" from Sophie (and also everyone else, if not verbally).

"Do as he says" Eathon said firmly.

Lok hated to do it, but he slowly nodded, setting out - everyone else followed carefully, keeping themselves covered from the dust. Cathy lingered, worried about dad; he quickly held her shoulders. "Cath, he'll come back to us" he assured her, though it seemed like she only half-heard. After this, Lok looked back, and caught his dad's eye-

He was smiling.

Lok smiled a little himself, knowing that look; stalling or otherwise, his dad's got this.

...

Eathon watched his son's team move out of the dust cloud, and was relieved his children were out of danger. Yes, they could handle themselves, but some things demanded a more proactive approach. Now let's see here- he and two other Seekers were up against one talented Seeker, and a fair number of invisible soldiers to back her up. The Seeker named Shauna could also seem to invoke spells without speaking out loud, making her a prime target to take out first, but at least the invisibility over the soldiers was marred by the clinging dust.

Beside him, Montehue stepped up to the plate, holding both axes in one hand now, and an amulet in another. "Normally, I'd be glad to have them all to myself" he said mildly. "However, in the presence of the famous Eathon Lambert, I think I can make an exception."

"I'm not really larger than life, all things considered, but I'll take it my friend" he answered, nodding, but never taking his eyes off the group in front of them (who were starting to make sense out of the clearing dust cloud).

"Uh, guys?"

Both of them looked behind them at Tersly's words, seeing something large coming from the opposite direction... however, when it parted the smoke (Tersly backed up a little), it revealed itself to be Powerbonded Baselaird.

He slowly grinned a bit. "Well, Lok was kind enough to send us some backup."

"The more the merrier! - "Okay... here we go."

Reaching out to Baselaird, Eathon felt their bond after so long, even though he belonged to Lok now - but it didn't matter; their friendship was strong, and that made all the difference. Then he turned back to the task at hand, ready to get things started.

 _"Materialize, Jirwolf! - Take them out, Fenris! - Come out, Venadek!"_

But despite summoning them, it would take a little time (minutes at worst) before they showed up - so they had to get their hands dirty.

Montehue was already prepared for this, preparing his double-bladed axes. "If you want to wait, be my guest" he said graciously, with no sarcasm. "However, I'll be busy until my Titan appears."

"I won't spend it standing around though" Eathon answered, starting to see why Montehue was a rival of Dante's - then he raised a hand: _"Raypulse!"_

/

"Cherit!" Sophie called, even as they were still running. "Can you at least tell us _where_ we're going!?"

"It's nowhere specific! Just far enough that Eathon will feel safer knowing Lok and Cathy are safe!"

A little disgruntled, and still panting a bit (they'd been going full run for at least twenty minutes), she looked at Lok - who was sheepishly sorry that he couldn't give an answer, and sweating. Well, least she wasn't the only one looking for an answer - and as they ran, the ground beneath them changed in response to their direct worry.

"Well there's no point running out into an open area; we'll need some cover" Zhalia mentioned, moving up just beside Cherit as he flew. "Perhaps behind that big hill?"

"If you think it'll work-"

"I do; I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise."

That got a little smirk out of Sophie, even as the group changed direction slightly when Cherit decided she had a point - soon the big hill blocked the way they came from. Everyone was panting, though Cherit's case was more weariness in that extended-fast use of his wings, while Lok directed Den to help get some water out of their packs. Though she too was fairly exhausted, she was more concerned about Cathy, who was lying on her back. But it wasn't because of the exhaustion - the look in her eyes said she was somewhere else entirely.

Sophie slowly crawled over closer. "Cathy?" she asked hesitantly.

"What did I do?" Cathy breathed, slowly blinking, her gaze still out in space. "Back there, that... wasn't like me at all."

It wasn't hard to see what she meant; Cathy's surprise attack against Shauna had come out of nowhere. In Sophie's peripheral vision, she also saw Lok pause, as there was no doubt he was close enough to hear (and worried about his sister). "Well, maybe it wasn't normal, but-" she started, not sure herself how to reassure Cathy.

Then Cathy cut her off: "Oh you don't understand, Sophie" she breathed, slowly covering her eyes with her own hands. "That attack was one of anger, and it wasn't even mine!"

She opened her mouth, before gasping a little. "Wasn't yours?" Sophie asked, getting a feeling.

Cathy suddenly sprang up, now on her side and facing her, scared. "It was Shadow's!" she breathed low. "I felt it! And he influenced me to attack! What's happening!?"

"It's okay, Cathy! It's okay!" she said in a hurry, taking the other woman's shoulders. "He didn't possess you! He didn't, I swear it!"

Her words hit home, but they didn't quell Cathy's fears, not completely - than she shrank back a little. "Then..." Cathy breathed, weak, "i-is that normal? The Titans... influencing our emotions, our thoughts, Sophie?"

Sophie slowly glanced down, thinking over quickly how best to explain this, but her smile was gentle.

"You say influencing as if they seek to manipulate us" she started gently. "I can certainly tell you, Cathy, that is _not_ true - our bonds are symbiotic relationships, not parasitic. When Titans aren't physically present with their Seekers, they will not influence anything the Seekers weren't already willing to do. If Shadow felt great anger at what happened, enough that you consciously felt and acted on it... I'm thinking what Shauna said struck a nerve with you as well."

Cathy slowly looked down, and a flicker of shame passed over. "Well, I... I-I did feel a little angry when she... threatened my dad" she breathed, unsure.

"And in that, your emotions were in sync" she answered. "I think Shadow has just proven he does not like bullies. He just went overboard on your behalf."

"Y-Yeah" Cathy breathed, a little better thanks to the relief. "I mean, I felt angry, but I didn't... I wasn't willing to do _that_... what I just did."

She held the other woman's shoulder. "It reminds me of a similar situation, involving your brother" she assured, getting Cathy's attention. "Lok couldn't control this Titan, and sometimes he'd do things Lok didn't approve of - they had to work at it, before they were in sync. It's no different here with Shadow; you can also make that work for you, Cathy, in time."

"H-How?"

"You're not willing to attack" she stated. "Perhaps, if you came to an understanding, and trusted each other enough, Shadow could do the attacking for you. However, you must also show that you do not approve of unauthorized attacks."

Cathy's mouth worked a little, and she was out of it for awhile, but slowly nodded. "O-Okay" she said faintly. "Maybe... I could see about Shadow, like you said..."

"And one other thing, Cathy."

"Hmm?"

Sophie smiled a bit, taking off the cap from her water bottle now. "Den over there?" she said, gesturing. "He hates bullies even more than Shadow apparently does; he protected his younger brother from them for years, as I'm sure Zhalia mentioned. Maybe he could give you a few little insights that would help."

As she drank, Cathy looked between her and Den, a bit surprised but also considering.

...

"Everything okay over there, Sophie? Cathy?"

"We're good enough, if a bit exhausted."

"Yeah... what she said, bro."

There was an undercurrent that said otherwise, but Zhalia didn't say anything - and Lok didn't seem to notice either, she noted with slight amusement. Still, she noticed Cathy looking in Den's direction, as if thinking about something.

Hmm, interesting.

She regarded their scene a little longer, before she heard a subtle beeping; Dante was calling her.

Her heart-rate increased, but she quickly worked to make sure no one would see/hear this. This included propping up her Holotome behind her pack, taking out a pair of ear-buds, and otherwise keep aware of what everyone else was doing with as little eyesight as possible. Finally she got things in order, and letting out a breath, cued up the call. Dante's image turned on, with his usual smile.

 _"Hey"_ he said simply.

Zhalia slowly rolled her eyes a little; just like him. "Get right down to business, huh?" she asked with a little snark.

He merely chuckled. _"Well, updates don't hurt, and they are required from time to time."_

A moment, where she thought he also meant wanting her to finish what she'd said yesterday (if possible), but then: "Well, we've acquired another Legendary Titan - who's a dolphin" she continued, getting a small eyebrow raise from Dante, which she sorta-liked. "Also, we were found by Shauna, but Eathon/Montehue/Tersly are taking care of them as we speak."

 _"Hmm, I wondered what was taking them so long; that was supposed to be a simple scouting mission. But why aren't you and the team helping?"_

"Obviously, that changed - and we aren't at Eathon's request."

Dante smiled after a bit. _"Well, what I wouldn't give to be there right now, helping Eathon out"_ he added easily. _"Seeing him in action again."_

"I'm sure you'll get that wish, sooner or later."

 _"Here's hoping."_

She made a small sound in response, before the lingering 'issue' in her heart starting coming to the forefront. "...Dante?" Zhalia breathed, extra quiet.

This immediately got his full attention. _"Yeah?"_ he asked gently.

"About before..."

After a moment, it was like their previous conversation hadn't been interrupted: _"Come on, Zhalia"_ he assured, his small smile soft. _"-you had every right to decide what you were comfortable with, and what you weren't."_

"Maybe... but that wasn't entirely what I meant, Dante."

He made a sound, but still soft. _"Okay"_ he said gently, before, _"But my personal opinion, Zhalia? You've done better than could've been expected of you."_

She breathed out, sorta amused. "Now you're just trying to butter me up" she said mildly.

 _"A little"_ Dante admitted. _"But I'm still serious; this isn't exactly your area of expertise. Even the thought that you'd be okay with the others knowing, officially, is a big step up. A good one though."_

She was silent for a little, "...maybe it doesn't have to be the only one" Zhalia whispered.

Dante didn't answer, but his expression did that for him.

"Maybe we could-" she breathed, faltering a bit, before: "you know... a-actually make it public."

 _"You don't have to do that, Zhalia."_

She slowly looked at him, heart pounding, and certain her cheeks were red. "Have to?" she slowly questioned, sorta sly (if full of effort), which helped her focus.

Dante looked at her for quite some time, or it seemed like it.

...

"What exactly happened back there, Cherit?"

"I assume you mean me taking the lead, Den?" the flying titan asked cheerfully, currently sitting on his knee.

Den chuckled a bit. "Yeah, sure" he answered mildly. "Though, I got that Eathon said or felt something to you - you were very close."

"Indeed we were, and still are good friends" Cherit noted, smiling. "And also because I am a Titan, I do well with mental bonds among my good friends - it just wasn't till we were in the Spirit World that anyone decided to test it out!"

He sheepishly rubbed his head. "Well, I guess that one's on us" he admitted, guilty as charged; it had never occurred to him. "But, anyway, what did Eathon say to you in the first place?"

"To take everyone, and head in the direction of the next Legendary Titan" he said graciously. "Though he only meant for us to go part of the way toward it, not all; Eathon plans to track us down when the battle is over, using his friend Jirwolf."

"Well, that I can get behind, but one thing" he added. "Do you know exactly where the next Legendary Titan is?"

Cherit's wings drooped for a split-second. "Not exactly" he admitted, putting a claw amongst his chin, thinking. "All I got from Eathon was the direction, which I followed - but even with that, I don't know how far or close the next Legendary Titan is."

"Meaning we could walk right past it" Den said, disgruntled... then he smirked a bit as he suddenly got an idea. "Actually, I don't think we will."

"What's that, Den?" Cherit asked, perking up.

"Kaioh is a tracker; in fact, it's in his name" he said, taking out the amulet and looking over it. "Perhaps I could call him, you two can share memories or whatever, then Kaioh can show us the exact way."

"That sounds good to me!"

* * *

 _"Dragonfist!"_

Shauna easily dodged, leaving Eathon grunting; she really knew her stuff. Next he used Ropetrick, but at the last second, she destroyed it with what appeared to be a twisted version of Breakspell. Even as they fought, the battle raged on all around them; Venadek had joined Tersly very quickly, and had his back as the man repeatedly cast Windburst while he could; it was a smart move, constantly throwing up dust that clung to the spell-invisible soldiers + slowed them down by coughing/covering their eyesight, while at the same time cast another spell on the three of them to see through dust. Also covering him, by himself so far, Montehue would easily charge in and slam the flats of his axes into the soldiers, disrupting them even as he fired spells when possible. A few were down, but they were still surrounded for now.

And unfortunately for him, Shauna had put Lok's Baselaird in Shadowlock. Initially she'd been glad to battle with him, but after he'd sliced her cheek (several times), well, she'd briefly gotten angry.

 _"Doublespell! Bristlevine!"_

Shauna moved quickly as vines sprout beneath her- however, she didn't anticipate the vines growing from the fallen tree behind her. But even as she struggled, there was a smirk- then she teleported a few feet away in a burst of flame, destroying the vines.

Eathon ran forward, ready to fight again, before his instincts led him to look up; several points of light were approaching their position, one much farther off than the others. Knowing Venadek was accounted for, he was slightly suspicious of the third Titan; might be Shauna's doing.

The first light to arrive gave him his answer; a demonic Titan who bore a distinct resemblance to the image of Egyptian queens. However, she was not fully humanoid, as she had eight mummified legs, with bat-like wings sprouting out of her back. Shauna continued to smirk as the Titan screeched, but the posture told him she was aware of the other Titans about to enter the fray.

 _"Holoscan"_ Eathon breathed to himself, moving his mouth as little as possible... the info came to him, in the form of an instinctive feeling, as if he'd always known: _"Lilith the Queen - Hecto-Titan - Special Abilities Detected"_

It did not compare to the Holotome's hardware, but anything would help.

Next up, landing in a growling huff, came the form of a large wolf creature, almost constantly twitching as if it had long since gone feral or mad. In particular, his eyes seemed to be bulging as it looked all around with wolfish instincts, trying to determine who was an enemy, friend, and possibly lunch. His teeth constantly showed in a permanent scowl, and at one point, the wolf directed that intensity at him. Montehue however was glad, even as he blocked two soldier spells with Armorbrand. "Fenris!" he called without fear, drawing the wolf's attention. "There's a good fight over here!"

The speed of which Fenris replied could only be considered animalistic excitement - and with that, growling, the Titan bowled over two soldiers whom Tersly had been facing (the man managed to react enough to use _"Augerfrost!"_ on a different soldier). In the back of Eathon's mind, he saw another indicator of the man's character, to be able to perfectly control such a Titan. Of course, this had been seen over the course of glances; Shauna and Lilith were still the pressing situation, looming over him.

Just a few more seconds at best...

Lilith came straight at him with a terrible slasher smile.

 _"Honorguard!"_ he formed over himself, but Lilith did not slow. He soon saw why; Shauna cast without speaking again, the same spell that had dissolved his Ropetrick earlier.

Luckily for him, he'd been anticipating something like that, so the moment his Honorguard dissolved, he met Lilith's main arms head-on with a grunt. He strained just to keep her there, even as Lilith probably contemplated eating his face off - then he moved, rolling his momentum backward, and the sudden change sent her flying to crash into the ground. Eathon quickly recovered, getting onto his knees, holding out both hands. _"Differspell!"_ he said intently, looking between his two targets, hands glowing different colors. _"Bristlevine! Forcewave!"_

Lilith just started to get up, before the rapidly-growing vines caused her to struggle with a screech. At Shauna, he sent out an orange aura blast - she countered with a series of black waves, but when they collided, she was pushed back with a grunt.

Glancing back to make sure Lilith was sufficiently tangled for now (he held no illusions that she would get out eventually), he looked at Shauna. "Any reason you're not going all out?" he asked quietly, if as they weren't fighting.

An irony really, given the sounds of Venadek slashing and blocking attacks from soldiers, Tersly managing to kick one soldier down before another hit him with Nullcurse (but not down for the count), and Fenris tearing through a soldier's attempted Armorbrand while Montehue blasted a few others clinging to Fenris' back. Even as he finished, another Titan went flying over Eathon's head, smashing into the upturned roots of the tree (and returning). But that was just it; only Shauna and a few scattered soldiers had called for Titans. By sounds alone, there were over thirty men/women with Shauna, and that force plus Titans would be a major challenge for them.

Shauna merely put a hand on her hip, smirking, but differently than the usual. "I expected nothing less from the 'mythic' Eathon Lambert" she said. "But it matters not; I am gauging your abilities anyway, and you are formidable, even if the Foundation exaggerated."

"Well, thank you" he said grimly, before getting ready. "But I won't go down easily, even if you do go all-out."

The slightest flicker, which he slowly took to mean Shauna was _itching_ to do just that, but couldn't.

Hmm...

"I _welcome_ the struggle" she replied in her usual savage tone, before running forward.

Eaton sidestepped her opening blow, and nearly leg-swept her in the process, but she moved too quick to be snared. Then it was a bunch of opening blows, testing the waters... right till the part where he hit her face off-center, sending her reeling. If anything though, it increased her bloodlust. But before Shauna could attack again, a brief interruption; Powerbonded Jirwolf had finally touched down. Growling, instantly turning to take in the situation, the wolf had changed little - except now his body had a constant golden outline, as if he was lit by an invisible source, though it did not outshine his natural colors. In addition, his claws had turned golden as well, as had his eyes. Even as he growled, Lilith finally got free of his spell, welcoming the arrival of this new foe.

 _"You feel up to this, my friend?"_

The answer was anticipation; he was itching to.

He smiled a bit, then: "Powerbonded Jirwolf, _Astral Howl!_ "

Much like a regular wolf would do at the moon, Jirwolf did just that - however, this howl had a far more physical presence, echoing through their beings as if they were near a house-sized speaker. It rippled through the air, staggering everyone and causing the landscape to shift - everyone staggered (himself included, though Jirwolf protected him + his allies from the worst) at the force of it... still, it accomplished it's purpose. One-by-one, the invisibility spell on the soldiers began to disappear, be they awake or unconscious. However, through their bond, he felt this take much more energy than either of them expected-

-Jirwolf shifted, and then they both turned toward the source: Astral Howl was trying to break through Shadowlock on Baselaird!

Eathon grunted; such a powerful spell.

But before Eathon could worry that it would take all his energy, an amazing thing occurred; Shadowlock began to ripple unsteadily. In addition, Baselaird began to move by himself inside, further disrupting the spell - it took much effort, but eventually Baselaird's arm sliced through the Shadowlock. Said spell dissipated much more rapidly, while Baselaird took time to adjust for sudden return to normal function, stepping unsteadily to the side. However, Eathon was far more tense; Lilith the Queen had rejoined Shauna, and neither were affected at all.

Shauna merely laughed. "Confused?" she asked rhetorically, before: "Lilith is an undead creature, and thus has no soul or astral form to affect in the first place."

"Her other special ability" he bluntly finished for her; he'd heard his Holoscan say 'abilities' after all. "And you used your bond to avoid the effects as well."

"Correct" Shauna merely answered, before gesturing; Lilith went straight for him, a blur of motion.

Jirwolf intercepted her in mid-attack, flying around her body in astral form before clinging to her back, biting her neck. Lilith screeched, before flinging herself hard enough that Jirwolf was dislodged, rolling before he skidded to a halt - meanwhile, Lilith's wound wasn't that serious. However, this left her open to a glancing blow from Baselaird, who still wobbled from the slowly-returning energy. Lilith responded by bashing him away, knocking Baselaird to the ground in his weakened state, then was set upon by Jirwolf.

And then of course, Shauna was there fighting him.

"Need a little help there, Eathon?"

"Not unless I'm losing badly, or if you finish those soldiers off, Montehue" he called, underneath a number of hits. "Emphasis on 'badly'."

"You got it!"

* * *

Dante had to admit; he was really caught off-guard.

Arms crossed, introspective, he glanced up at the Spirit World's 'sky', his mind still on Zhalia's words.

Overall, in the long run, he certainly didn't think he'd mind the changes in their deal. But Zhalia had come to terms with her insecurities much quicker than he'd expected. Then he slowly smiled a bit, thinking he'd underestimated her, after all those times that he pretty much had her figured out (and reacted accordingly). Well, first time for everything he guessed, and certainly wasn't a bad thing in this case. Plus the changes weren't even that big on paper for him, though for Zhalia, they were considerable.

However far they decided to go (now or ever), they wouldn't be publicly affectionate; she wasn't that kind of woman. However, their relationship would be out in the open, willingly on both their parts. He anticipated Zhalia would eventually allow questions on how they were doing, though exactly what they would say in response to more embarrassing questions... that was up to her. And which they still had to discuss in detail, for right now. Still, even if it only remained at the most basic level, he had to start thinking about what to do next. After all, she would reside with Lok's team in Italy, while he would certainly stay with the Huntik Council in New York, least for the foreseeable future.

Hmm...

While he remained in thought, he missed Viviane running up to him, till the very last second: "Dante!"

"Ah, yes Viviane?"

If his tone was distant or otherwise off at all, she either didn't hear, or otherwise ignored it: "We may have a small problem" she said, gesturing for him to follow her.

He raised a small eyebrow, following along. "Define 'may'" he said, a little interested.

...

Viviane led him only a small distance, where he found Lucas and Harrison as well, standing in front of this really tall tree. Their expressions didn't say anything was seriously wrong, but it still said something was up there - he looked, but didn't immediately see anything.

"So what's up?" he asked mildly.

Lucas gave him the slightest sarcastic look, but Harrison and Viviane got the joke, even if no one said anything. "Well, Dante, we've noticed a Titan at the top of that tree" Harrison added, gesturing up. "Normally this wouldn't have been an issue, but we noticed that he's been watching us very close, and has never moved from his spot. Trying to get him to leave has been... disastrously bad, in the mildest sense."

"Don't tell me you fired spells his way?"

"Lucas sent one as a warning spot, but he was off" Viviane said, glancing at Lucas. "That's pretty much all that happened, but it didn't faze this Titan."

"And to make matters more interesting, we can't even identify the Titan, because he's too well-hidden" Lucas added, sounding vaguely suspicious. "However, there's been no indication that he'll attack or retreat; he's just sitting up there."

"Well then, I think it's time I got a closer look" Dante said mildly, putting down his pack and approaching the tree.

"You sure that's safe, Dante?"

"Not entirely Viviane, but then again, most adventure isn't like that either" he said, already climbing up the bark, doing his best not to impale his hand on the sharper edges every step of the way; too late, he really should have brought gloves. "But if the Titan becomes hostile and I fall out of this tree, you can catch me with Featherdrop."

"Sure, you make it sound so easy" Harrison noted, mildly sarcastic, but in a playful manner.

Dante merely chuckled, now about eighteen feet off the ground and making better time than before, because now he'd actually been able to grab onto a branch. Pulling himself up with effort, he looked over his path carefully, before he leapt up and hung from another one, then he pulled himself up that one as well. He could have ascended faster with Hyperstride, but with so many interconnecting branches, he might hit his head on the way up... not quite worth it, obviously, and that was without the sharp bark every inch of the way. Least the tree wasn't really that tall in the first place, so he could spare the exercise.

Close to three-fourths of the way up, he heard the distinct sound of something shifting on the bark above him (that and smaller bits fell directly in front of him): this Titan must be able to see him by now, if not smell him. Far more interesting though was the inexplicable feeling building in his chest-

Wait a minute... a well-concealed Titan, small enough that it could move quickly on tree branches, and a sudden feeling from being this close to it?

 _"Could it be?"_

Only one way to find out; he kept climbing, going as fast as was safe. He kept climbing until the branches started becoming too thin to safely support his weight, least for extended periods, so he perched himself on one and leaned against the bark. Aside from the wind going through his hair, it was fairly quiet, even too quiet - aside from a slight creak as the upper branches moved in the wind. His hands bore numerous small scratches due to his method of climbing, but they weren't anywhere near serious - he vaguely wondered if this would draw Zhalia's concern when they next saw each other in person.

"I know you're up there" Dante said mildly, gentle. "And you know I'm down here. Why the need for secrecy? Come out."

Silence... then the branches above him creaked as something shifted, getting closer. It came down, feet-first, perched on a branch directly above him, but still concealed by heavy foliage.

Then the shadows of wings brushed over the limited lighting - and he recognized them.

 _"It is"_ he thought, heart beating faster, almost unable to believe it.

The Titan quickly landed below, letting out a shrill cry as it did so, flaring it's six wings before tucking them in by it's sides. It's piercing gaze never left his face, augmented by the golden Greek/Roman helmet it wore.

Dante breathed out, starting to well up with subdued happiness. "Solwing" he whispered softly, slowly reaching out a hand toward his beak, ever so careful. In true bird fashion, every movement was carefully watched and reacted to, but Solwing did not move other than to shift - eventually, he touched his beak. With a rush, as if it'd never been severed, their bond came back, and he saw himself as a young boy playing with Solwing. Even after that, this had always been one of his closest friends, and boy had he missed him.

Solwing's bearing shifted, even softened as he felt all this - he couldn't quite smile, but the eyes reflected it, in their own fierce way.

And just like that, their bond was reaffirmed... with a bonus: Solwing changed before his eyes.

While mostly the same size, he grew a further few inches all over - and in addition, the six wings morphed into eight, of the exact same type as they had been previously. The golden armor expanded itself, further moving down Solwing's front and back, but making sure to retain enough room for his flight movements. Smaller additions to the golden armor included the braces on it's legs, which covered more than before, as did the helmet. Solwing took barely a moment before he flew a short distance, settling on his shoulder.

Even as he did so, his changed icon painlessly etched itself into Dante's hand, fading away after awhile.

"Wow, you're a little heavier than I remember, but let's see" he said mildly, but glad, even as he pulled out his Holotome. Hmm, instead of five pounds like before, it was now ten - well, that wasn't too bad, and still made him a speedy scout. Also included the small height and width changes that he'd seen.

 _"Powerbonded Solwing"_ it spoke for the rest. _"Attack: 2; Defense: 2; Size: Small; Type: Krono-Titan Scout; Special Abilities: Flight, Limited Wind Manipulation."_

"Well, that's promising" Dante said, looking at his friend, who agreed; they both knew he'd used small wind blasts before, thanks to his wings, but this was another can of worms. In his mind's eye, he saw another brief scene; that of Zhalia and Den in the Spirit World, bounded by The Professor's Skingrip, before Solwing himself intervened. Hmm, so he had Solwing to thank for those two returning safely.

He'd barely formed the thought before Solwing dismissed it, but in the sense of 'I did what you would have done; don't mention it.'

"Hehe" he breathed, smiling a bit. "Well then, shall we test how much you can carry now?"

With no hesitation whatsoever, Solwing moved off his shoulder, getting into position - Dante did so as well. Well, he'd always wanted to try bungee-jumping, but this was as close as he could now...

"Aaand here we go" he said, before jumping off.

As you could imagine, he gave his audience quite a scare, but at least they had enough sense to attempt Featherdrop... then pause as they saw something else. Yep, that was his cue. With ease, Solwing's claws gripped his back by the shoulder blades, and had them fly back toward the Huntik beachhead - he noticed Solwing struggled a bit a bit to carry him, due it having been awhile since he'd carried someone in his claws, but he soon steadied out.

"Everything's fine!" Dante called down to Viviane, Harrison, and Lucas. "No need to rescue me!" he added mildly.

From Solwing, a distinct sense of amusement, but also a sense of everything being back to normal.

There was basically a repeat of this incident as he approached the beachhead, but they managed to land intact, right next to a very-surprised LeBlanche and Santiago (the latter whom was doing well thanks to the skilled healers around).

"Well, that's something you don't see everyday, even from you, Dante" LeBlanche managed to say, arms crossed over his chest. "Just don't do that too often; an old man's heart can only take so much, you know."

"But there's a lot of life left in you" he said graciously, holding up his arm, Solwing settling there.

"I knew he was destroyed by Legion, but I never imagined we'd find him again" Santiago said, a little subdued. "Even with our semi-easy access to the Spirit World now."

"Well, sometimes these things happen" Dante added, looking at Solwing. "And I for one, am _glad_ they did."

* * *

"So, what was it like, Den?"

"Hmm?"

"At the orphanage? Zhalia's told me a little about your situation, but I- well, uh-"

Den glanced up, wondering why Cathy would want to know about that... then an idea slowly occurred to him. "Wait a minute, is this because of what happened with Shadow?" he asked carefully.

Cathy slowly nodded, sitting just across from him. "Sorta" she admitted, a little worried about his reaction, and unsure about her own; understandable. "Sophie's already eased most of my fears that he wasn't trying to possess me, only acted based on what I already felt, if gone a 'little' overboard - but still, if me and Shadow are gonna click, or trust each other enough, I might have to learn more about... what it means to be willing to fight, intentionally."

Den acknowledged that, getting a sense of things. "But it isn't necessarily the orphanage you're interested in" he pointed out. "It's more of the whole bully situation, as I'm sure Zhalia told you about."

A little surprise, but Cathy quickly nodded, nervous but also determined - he could respect that; he'd felt much the same when he first confronted the issue.

"Well, at that orphanage, bullies were fairly rampant" Den said, disgruntled. "You couldn't go a day without dealing with them in some way. And because of the way they manipulated the system and the people, everyone who was supposed to get their fair share of food, didn't really. I saw it affect so many kids, including my brother, though I tried to give him what I could... and even today, I don't know how I escaped that gaunt look."

"How horrible!" Cherit said from his shoulder. "Didn't the adults do anything?"

"Long story short, they didn't really care" he said grimly, sighing. "They drew the line at anything that led to outright hospitalization, or worse, but that was about it."

"Den, I-I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be, Cathy" Den said, holding up a hand, Cherit shifting at that. "No matter how horrible it was, it did change me for the better. Because in there, you were either a bully, a victim, or the strong one who could take care of yourself and the ones you cared about."

The sadness lingered, which he could understand, but Cathy remained strong. "Well, that explains how well you fight, and your willingness to do so" she said, before tilting her head. "But - how did it start? W-With anger?"

Not sure about her wavering over 'anger' (though Cherit seemed worried about that), Den put it off to the side for the moment. "Not entirely" he admitted. "When they threatened Harrison or the other kids, sure, I _was_ angry - but more than anything, I was determined to stop them, even if just for the day, or hour at that."

"Determination?" Cathy asked, surprised, but suddenly intent. "Really? How did you do it? Use your determination to eliminate all doubts?"

"'Eliminate'?" he asked, before shaking his head. "It was never _that_ easy, Cathy. What I did do was focus entirely on the determination, and/or the anger, and not think whatsoever about the rest. My one goal was to help my little brother, nothing else. Didn't always work, especially at first, as sometimes the taunts and/or rare blows would distract me... but with experience it got better."

"Everything gets better with experience, certainly" Cherit added, but looking at Cathy afterward. "The problem is, it always takes time."

Den nodded, then looked back at Cathy. "And if I may add, determination isn't so far from anger as you may think, Cathy" he said, to her complete surprise. "When you aren't out of control with it, anger is focused on a single thing. Both states are full of that same focus - and I've found with the right push, they could be the same thing easily."

Cathy leaned back, unsure. "I-I'm not sure I can agree with that, Den..."

Cherit got off his shoulder, and flew to hers. "Well, you don't have to, Cathy" he said, cheerful and soft. "Den is right when determination and anger can be linked, but it's not for everyone. Maybe you'll use it, or parts of it, or not at all - it's up to you."

She breathed out, but it was with a smile. "Thank you, both of you" she said, looking between them. "And you're right; I gotta see if I can use that focus at least..."

Even as she finished, she pulled out Shadow's amulet - Den glanced at her, but otherwise didn't comment; this was Cathy's affair.

She looked at it herself for a little, thinking, before she breathed out. "Okay" Cathy whispered, "Maybe I can-"

"Ahh!"

"Den!? - What's wrong!?"

Den clutched at his right arm, then moved his sleeve up - and there sat his Spiral Mark, which both Cathy and Cherit reacted to.

"Damn it!" he cursed; whether he/they spoke or not now, the Spirals could still track him with this cursed thing! And with Eathon still in the middle of that battle, every moment lost was a risk to them all. Den barely had to look over at Zhalia, who had turned toward him with a similar look, as her arm had always been worked just shortly after his-

* * *

 _Earth_

 _County Kerry, Ireland_

It was quiet in the house, Sandra washing a dish, before she slowed, worried.

Part of it was the normal motherly worry; that Lok and now Cathy were out there in the Seeker world, and even more extraordinarily, in the Spirit World itself now. And though the Organization was now an ally, if a bit competitive as a rival, the Blood Spirals still had to be contended with. They had proven to be bolder than before, attacking Sophie's Townhouse in broad daylight... thankfully no one had been seriously hurt. And then, probably to cover their vulnerable appearance, had gone straight to the Spirit World with little warning or communication.

 _"Without even an email or anything"_ she thought, remembering she'd have to play that up when she saw Lok next. Well, after she hugged him to death, maybe even 'scolded' him for making her worry-

Anyway, only a few days after they'd gone in, things had yet to be fully reported. She'd heard the scattered news that the Foundation had established a beachhead in the Spirit World (she may be retired, but she wasn't ignorant), and she didn't have to go far to see the obvious excitement that rocked the Seeker world at this discovery. She was glad for it all, truly - but still, she worried for her children. It was a brave thing, searching for-

A faint beeping drew her attention; her spare Holotome, which had mostly gone unused for a long time. Quickly wiping her hands with the towel, she prepared herself, sitting down at the table before she opened it.

It might have been her imagination, but it seemed slower than usual, due to the misuse - but regardless, the image of Guggenheim appeared.

 _"Sandra"_ he greeted easily.

"Good to see you too, Guggenheim" she said. "What's the occasion?"

 _"Well, to put it simply, we've started getting regular reports from our beachhead in the Spirit World."_

Sandra raised a faint eyebrow. "Is that something I'm required to know?"

He chuckled. _"Not necessarily"_ Guggenheim admitted, _"-however, Dante Vale himself had an important message to sent to you, and I thought I'd deliver it personally."_

"How very kind of you" she said, smiling, but unable to mask her confusion; what could Dante want to tell her?

 _"Just a few seconds"_ he said distractedly, working at something, before his image disappeared. In it's place, a miniature Dante Vale stood, perfectly serious - and she could tell this was a recording; this version gave no individual reaction to her presence.

 _"Sandra Lambent, I make this message to you from the Spirit World"_ he said, in his usual way, but also with a measure of gravity. _"If it is late, I apologize - however, there is something you should be aware of. Lok and Cathy have found Eathon-"_

She jerked, hard enough that the chair began to wobble before she straightened it-

 _"-repeat: Lok and Cathy have found Eathon-_

"Eathon" she breathed, heart pounding.

 _"-he is alive and well, and we all intend to keep it that way, so that he may one day come home."_

With that, his message ended - she barely noticed.

 _A rare moment; seeing Eathon laugh so hard, he could barely control himself - something she enjoyed seeing._

 _The sheer happiness of that day, before Eathon dipped her in front of the whole crowd, not that she cared one bit after they kissed._

 _The strong feel of his arms as she traced them, together and close in bed, just enjoying each other's company - his little kiss on her forehead, gentle and strong at the same time, always made her feel warm._

 _"...Sandra? Sandra?"_

She jerked again, then quickly took off her glasses and wiped at her eyes, breathing a little heavily. "Y-Yes?" she said, a little unsteady at first, but got better.

Guggenheim's little smile was all understanding though, which she appreciated. "I just want you to know that if anything else happens, you'll hear from us immediately" he said.

"As of now, that may not be good enough" she said intently. "Guggenheim, I want to know everything about the situation."

He was surprised: "Sandra-"

"I'm not going to just sit here" she breathed, fingertips clenching over the table edges as she stood up. "Not when I finally confirmed that my husband's still alive."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A little more character-driven this time around, but of course the action has yet to be resolved - in more ways than one.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	19. Loyalty

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The Huntik team's celebration of Cathy's victory is cut short when they are attacked by a group of Blood Spirals, led by Shauna, who has become even more dangerous. However, this confrontation is waylaid by two old friends, who join Eathon in the fight while the team continues toward the next Legendary Titan. On the way, Cathy admits her fears that her newest Titan might be influencing her emotions, even as Zhalia and Den consider different situations. At the Huntik beachhead, Dante Vale reunites with Solwing, who had last been seen being absorbed by Legion. Back on Earth, Sandra Lambert gets the long-awaited news of her husband being alive...**

* * *

 _"Loyalty"_

 _Episode 71_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"Den, what are we gonna do? Dad's still over there-"

"It'll be okay, Cathy I promise" Den said intently, gathered with the rest of the team, who had been made aware of the issue at hand. "We can still talk... just watch what you say around me and Zhalia" he added, a little dour.

Sophie held a finger near her lip. "And adding to that, they've clearly gained the specs of our portal spell through this mark" she said, determined. "This is not good, in the short or long-term."

"You can say that again" Zhalia agreed, arms lightly crossed. "According to the info I've gotten from Dante, they've been harassing the Huntik beachhead for at least a day now."

"And you left this out why?"

"You didn't ask."

Sophie grr'd slightly, irritated, while everyone else got a little kick out of that - in particular, Cathy giggled a little, even as Cherit whispered in her ear (probably about a specific of the two women's rivalry). For Den's part, he was just glad they were discussing stuff the Blood Spirals already knew (or had to already know, having done all this); he'd hate to be indirectly responsible for things getting worse.

"Anyway, the question remains" Lok said, glancing back the way they'd came, no doubt thinking about his dad, "Do we wait, or press on? I mean, Dad could find us with Jirwolf-"

"But whether we move on or not, Blood Spirals will find us no matter what." Den added quickly. "Until Eathon does that spell again."

Lok slowly nodded, before turning back to face them. "Well, personally, I vote we press on" he stated, purely mouthing the last two words, smiling a bit as they all reacted. "That way we lose nothing, even if they do find us."

"Me too" Cathy said quickly, stepping forward. "I mean, uh... I'd like the chance to rest my nerves" she breathed in this wake, half-sheepish, but glancing at Lok; he merely nodded, as her words meant the opposite of the plan.

"Agreed, and it is logical, a bit" Sophie added, hand on her hip; Lok just chuckled slightly at the 'tone' she used.

"I go with Cathy's vote" Zhalia said, Cathy looking at her surprised. "Though, it's much less about the nerves" Zhalia added when she saw this, Cathy slowly nodding with a little smile.

"Well, count me in too" Den said mildly, glad that the Blood Spirals couldn't quite make this out. There was always the chance they'd know where they were anyway, if this damn mark _did_ track him (and Zhalia)... but either way, they had to be prepared for both chances.

Cherit briefly flew around, hovering in front of them. "Don't forget about me!" he said cheerfully.

"Wouldn't think of it" Den answered mildly, before pulling out an amulet. As quietly as he could possibly do, " _Now show yourself, Kaioh the Tracker!_ " he summoned.

In the wake of nothing happening, which he'd gotten used to, he found Lok's hand on his shoulder. "Good work, Den" he said, a little too cheerfully, which confused him... until he saw Lok's finger come up, do a zig-zag motion (visible by everyone else, and reacted to subtly), then come down slowly.

Den smirked, nodding to show that he got it - on the one hand, if this mark couldn't physically track them, least the Blood Spirals wouldn't know the exact location of the next Legendary Titan, and the team would still go partway toward it. On the other hand, Lok's plan also took into account the other aspect; if it _could_ physically track them, then sooner or later the Blood Spirals would find them anyway. If so, they'd let them come to them... however, due to Eathon's work, they couldn't know that they'd already gotten one extra Legendary Titan, so they'd have an element of surprise this time.

* * *

 _Slightly later_

Shauna blindsided Eathon with enough force to send him reeling, instinctively brushing against the wound.

Not bad, truly - shortly after this, she avoided an Augerfrost from Tersly, used that black wave spell again, which Montehue blocked with Overshield. At the same time, due to his bond with Jirwolf, he briefly saw the struggle behind him as the Titans fought against Lilith the Queen. Fenris growled in Lilith's face as the two of them fought to push the other away, Jirwolf preventing this by clinging to it's back and biting/clawing when he could. Still, Lilith writhed when Venadek managed to stab her in one of eight legs, then she kicked him away in retaliation - which unfortunately was too much for the worn-out Titan. Lok's Baselaird was soon to occupy her attention after that, having gotten time to rest, and was struggling with his best effort.

Tersly whimpered when his Titan returned, his worried reaction seeming to get the better of him when Shauna turned on him, her hand glowing a sickly green-

 _"Lightcoat!"_ Eathon quickly cast-

-it blunted the spell, but not enough; Tersly was thrown back, skidding across the ground. He was still alive, but it was unclear if he was unconscious or not yet, due to the dust.

"Tersly!" Montehue called, before his expression set in a snarl. "Okay, let's go, Shauna!"

She didn't even get a chance to reply; Montehue was already swinging his axes, forcing Shauna to backstep and dodge. At one point, she caught the head of an axe by the blade (her hand having spontaneously been encased in stone), but even so, she struggled. Then Montehue took advantage of this, slamming the blunt side of the other into her gut - it knocked the wind out of her, but she still held her ground, snarling even as she blasted him. Still, she clutched at her stomach-

 _"Good"_ Eathon thought, while at the same time having to sidestep the thrown Fenris. The Titan was slow to rise, but clearly angry now, growling with a low intensity - he also saw Jirwolf still clinging to Lilith's back for life, because she was entirely focused on him now. But behind her, Baselaird was getting up from the last attack, and she remained unaware.

"When Jirwolf moves, tackle that Titan" he said in an undertone, the Fenris' bulging eyes briefly glancing at him. Then, after glancing back at the other battle (Montehue nearly hit Shauna on the arm with Stoneglove), Eathon saw his chance. _"Now!"_ he said, first to Jirwolf through their mental bond - the wolf phased through Lilith's head and clung to her face, effectively blinding her and causing her to flail about. Then it was out loud to Fenris, who needed little encouragement to charge straight at Lilith, Jirwolf getting off a split-second before the two Titans crashed to the ground. Fenris wasted no time in pinning Lilith to the ground + clawing her up, and at that exact moment, had Baselaird move quickly-

A powerful stab + bite later, Lilith couldn't take anymore, and her light returned to Shauna.

That split-second of pain was all they needed. _"Hyperstride!"_ Eathon called, moving quickly to join up with Montehue, who disregarded one now-broken axe and was taking aim with his free hand.

 _"DragonfistX2!"_

Remarkably, despite the guttural gasp and being pushed back, Shauna stayed on her feet, clutching at her gut. Suspicious, he kept his guard up, Montehue ready beside him... then she just chuckled low, smirking as she stood upright, as if she still had a lot of fight left in her.

Her Spiral Mark began to glow a dark red. "It matters not, Huntik Foundation" she said with satisfaction, "I got what I needed, and our plans are in motion."

Then she was gone, using a spell that he was completely unfamiliar with.

"Damn" Montehue spoke, with quiet, weary frustration. Then it changed quite quickly: "Tersly!"

Luckily for them all, Tersly was unharmed, just dazed and exhausted - as were they all. At the same time, Jirwolf and Fenris seemed to be sharing disappointment that their prey had gotten away... which did make some sense, as at the core, they were both wolf-like Titans.

 _"'It matters not'"_ Eathon thought, getting an ominous feeling about the conviction in her voice. _"Deliberately holding back throughout the entire fight? Why?"_

He had no answer, but then again, he had few pieces of the complete puzzle in the first place, or any idea what the end result was. Beside him, Lok's Baselaird slowly came up to him, radiating two things - mainly a weary satisfaction that they'd won the battle, but also a kinship that they'd shared before.

He slowly smiled a bit. "It was good to see you too, old friend" he said gently, breathing heavily. "Just remember, you're Lok's now, but I'll always remember our time together."

After a moment, Baselaird slowly acknowledged this, then he turned and walked away. He watched him for a full minute, seeing him walk off - having kept enough energy to stay invoked, Baselaird didn't have to return yet. But even if he had, only the light would have returned to Lok's amulet; Baselaird himself would have appeared back at the last spot he'd been before being summoned, simply to rest.

 _"Why does that happen though?"_ Eathon wondered, curious. _"The light is the visual representation of a Titan returning, but here, it simply doesn't work that way... hmm. And why can't the Titans return themselves if need be?"_

Beside him, Montehue came up to him, holding up Tersly by the back. "Well, despite them getting away, that was a fine scrap - I'm glad I got to share it with the famous Eathon Lambert" he said good-naturedly.

"Even though it was a fight, I'm glad too" Tersly wearily agreed, the adrenaline having yet to settle. "I wish we had more time, to talk about things other than battle."

He smiled a bit, shaking each man's hand again. "Perhaps one day when this is over, we can share a drink or something" Eathon answered. "But I think it's about time I rejoined my family."

Montehue nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. "I understand" he said, before winking. "We should get back too, or Dante might finally chew us out for worrying him; this was supposed to be a simple scouting mission after all!"

"A-And we're way overdue!"

To that, they just laughed, all of them - it wasn't the normal goodbye, but it sufficed, and he watched them go until ten seconds had passed.

Then he turned his attention to the direction Baselaird had gone off in; toward Lok no doubt, by bond if nothing else. Beside him, Jirwolf slowly pawed the ground, slightly uneasy about running after the exertion they'd faced minutes ago.

He chuckled. "Don't worry, we won't push it to the limit" he said to Jirwolf, before he ran forward, at a steady, measured pace. Jirwolf easily overtook him even at full speed, but he wasn't surprised - and besides, it would help keep an eye out for anything else that might ambush them.

* * *

"Almost?"

"Almost" Lok breathed in an undertone, all of them starting to slow down, walking toward this forest area. It would have been a standalone sight, but it was overlooked by this fairly small mountain, at least by Earth standards - still, that made their job of getting up there easier. Unfortunately, despite Lok's covert plan to throw them off, the mountain they were approaching could very well be a clear signal of the Legendary Titan's location. If the Blood Spirals realized this, they could expect heavy resistance near it... well, Sophie still gave Lok points for trying; it was a good detail. For herself, she glanced back at the sky behind them, wishing she could have left a Sunburst - it would have told Eathon about their direction, but it was also risky.

Still, they walked on, getting their breath back and passing the edge of the forest.

"Wow, this stuff's really thick" Den breathed, already struggling with a faceful, least for a moment - though Kaioh had better knowledge about how to navigate, at least. "Is it worse than the Amazon, Sophie?"

"For now, I'm going with 'almost'" she said, having to be careful where she stepped; thorns were fairly common among the lower foliage. Above her, Cherit had to untangle his wings from a low-hanging branch, adding 'The Amazon's weren't this random!"

"Cherit's right, I don't think I've ever seen brush this... wild" Cathy breathed, having to pull her leg out of a lot of foliage, brushing small clinging things off her jeans.

"Still, though I don't really recall it directly, my instincts say that we've seen nothing yet" Cherit added again, fairly cheerful even as he thought to himself, finger on his chin. "At least in the Spirit World."

"Well, that sight's for another time" Zhalia said, bending to get under a low-hanging branch

Sophie opened her mouth to say something else-

-then an ominous warning instinct kicked in.

"...Sophie?" Lok asked, the first to notice; everyone else slowed due to his tone.

She quickly glanced around her quickly, tensing. "I think we're being watched" she said, hand going near her belt, where her Titans were held.

 _Boom_

The impact wasn't directly on them, but near enough that they felt the wind, whipping at their hair/clothes hard enough that they staggered! The creaking and groaning of trees overwhelmed every other sound, including the dislodged foliage (which had partly gotten on them, irritatingly).

"What was-!?"

 _"Nullcurse!"_

Instinct kicked in; she and Lok dove off to the side, even as Den and Zhalia did the same with Cathy on the other (Cherit just took flight). Then she was quick to get up, Lok by her side, and- "You!"

Kiel simply grinned, with a anger-fueled determination. "How about we finish things, Casterwill?" he asked, holding up his fist, a chain dangling from the amulet contained within. Sophie was quick to get to her feet, Lok, Den and Zhalia doing the same, and Cathy after a delay - all of them were determined, though Cathy nervous. Cherit was similarly worried, but with a lower determination to fight.

As if to answer the unspoken question of if he could take them 5-on-1, several more explosions happened directly behind Kiel, blasting the forest into a fiery mess! The image brought a split-second flashback; herself, younger and frightened, seeing a younger Kiel smirking in the doorway- No! She shook her head, determined not to fall back into that fear. Instead, she looked at the group of Blood Spirals, trying to access their numbers and strength - so far, about twenty Silent Soldiers and Casterwill Hunters.

 _"Not again"_ she nearly snarled in her own mind, pulling out a ring, a glow appearing appearing over herself; time to see just what they could do.

 _"Let's play, Legendary Titan of Intelligence, Timaeus!"_ she called.

At the same time, on her side: _"Finish them off, Raijin the Thunderbolt! - Strike fear, Lernaean Hydra! - C-Charge, Ironsquire! - Take them down, Tyrannos!"._

On Kiel's side: _"Burn everything, Efreet King, Hyperion! - Fairly big mass of Titan summonings."_

Sorry, that was about all she could make out on the spot.

Ready for anything, Sophie started things off, _"Kindlestrike!"_

The battle dissolved into chaos of course, many many characters against each other, and she could only take in so much at once - what she expected though was Kiel running straight at her, and she tensed, ready for him.

 _"Stormflare!"_

Instantly bending down, the fiery beam sailed over her head, and she aimed straight at Kiel. _"Touchram!"_ she called, blasting him back a few steps, allowing her to run forward. However, before she could get too close, Hyperion landed right in front of her! She gasped as it's faceless bright head peered at her, then the light intensified, and she reacted instinctively: _"Honorguard!"_ The shield strained against it's light beam, then just as it flickered, Kiel aimed at her.

 _"Magicbind!"_

It hit her just as the shield went down, and she grunted as she flung a small distance, right through a bed of thorns for added insult.

A lucky shot, but she wasn't out yet!

...

 _Slightly earlier_

It was just chaos.

Lok blasted a soldier with Raypulse, then struggled against another one, trying to keep it's Thundercut from hitting him. Around him, Den and Zhalia stood close together, using Darkfog and Shadowspeed, respectively - however, one soldier managed to hit Den with a Boltflare, knocking him back. Cathy was holding her own against three soldiers in martial arts (even that couldn't get past her instinctive defense, though she was stuck doing defense because of those same numbers), and Sophie was battling with Kiel. At the same time, a few Titans landed in the area, mostly for the Blood Spirals; a small number of Harlekins (brr) and Midnight Rooks, a Shadow Kulit, and a Marauder so far. Then Kaioh ensnared one of the Midnight Rooks with his vines, flinging it to the ground - at that moment, Ironsquire landed, almost instantly seeing his Seeker and going over to her.

Good, now the rest just needed to join the party.

 _"Honorguard!"_ Lok heard.

He glanced over, saw Hyperion blasting at Sophie, and Kiel raising a hand as the shield flickered; a sense of dread overtook him.

 _"Magicbind!"_

"Sophie!" he cried out, but she was hit anyway, flung through the air- wait, what?

Did he just see _that_?

He quickly shook his head; he's imagining things! He knew better, so he instantly aimed to get to Sophie - right before Raijin landed before him.

"Perfect timing!" Lok said, glad. "Distract Kiel and Hyperion until I get Sophie back onto the field, but stay out of their range as well!" he continued in a hurry, rushing forward, feeling the Titan's acknowledgment. He pushed through the vines, flinching as the thorns dug in, but he went in regardless as fast as he could. "Sophie!" he called, before he burst through. "Sophie, I-!"

Gah!

On the ground, shaking her head, Sophie was unhurt except for small thorns in her clothes (at worst dazed), but she was recovering quickly. The problem? Well, due to her position + regular clothes, her legs were still wide open as they'd landed... and a certain magic _wasn't_ doing it's job with the red skirt.

Despite the rush of adrenaline, Lok froze for a second, just having plain not expected _this_.

Sophie quickly sat up, unknowing of his presence so far, this action covering herself again (which thankfully jolted him back to reality). _"Everfight"_ she breathed to herself, even as he quickly leaned down beside her, knowing nothing would happen. "What? What happened!? How- Lok?"

"It's Magicbind, the spell I was hit with back at the Venice attack" he said quickly. "Like I said, it disables Seekers spells!"

"Damn it" she breathed, completely irritated and quickly standing up - he did the same to avoid anymore views, just in case. "Well, I'm still gonna-"

He grabbed her arm- "Sophie!"

"Lok, what are you doing!?"

"It didn't just disable your Seeker magic, but _all_ of your magic!" he said intently.

The irritation quickly crossed over to him. "I think I got that-" Sophie said in a harder tone, before she slowed down, expression changing, -...part."

In the space of a split-second, she glanced down at herself, the shock hit home, AND she got intensely embarrassed.

"D-Did you..."

He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Yes" he said faintly. "Not by choice though."

He didn't blame her for blanching, yet he still felt bad... then an explosion rocked them back to reality a second time. As did a thrown Silent Soldier, and the unmistakable roar + hiss of Tyrannos + Lernaean Hydra, who seemed to have joined them at last!

"I'll distract Kiel until Timaeus gets here!" he said immediately, rushing out of the brush, doing his best to ignore her calling his name. He knew she'd be all right with marital arts, even against Kiel, but the sudden concern for her modesty would no doubt throw her off her game; he wanted to minimize that. Quickly, he saw Raijin circling Kiel + Hyperion, belting out lightning bolts - also, Tyrannos caught a Nightlurker in his jaws, throwing him around like a rag-doll before another Nightlurker landed on a blow on it's jaw. Lernaean Hydra was surrounded, but his poison sizzled on a large number of them, even as the snake Titan evaded multiple slashing blows (he could understand why). He saw Kiel aim to hit Raijin again-

 _"Bladecall!"_ Lok summoned, catching the Willblade before he swung it like a real sword. _"Overslam!"_

The hit blindsided Hyperion, staggering him, but Kiel avoided it by flipping over the spell - at the same time, Cherit flew straight down at Hyperion. "AHHHH!" the Titan blasted, staggering Hyperion down to the ground, but he didn't return. Even after a second blasting, the Titan remained standing, barely... until a spell-enhanced big rock hit him straight in the face, smashing him against a tree + sending him back to the angered Kiel. Behind him, he found Sophie, who apparently had used both arms to throw that. He had to admit, that was a big plus in his opinion, no matter what that spell was!

And personally, Lok thought it was a shame that Hyperion had to go so soon; despite himself, he liked that Titan's overall look, and would have liked to fight longer in less dire circumstances. Still, he looked as Kiel turned straight toward him.

"Come and get me, Kiel!" Lok goaded, motioning for Sophie to help out Cherit, who had wearily gone to the ground (those blasts still took a lot out of him). "I'll bet you can't even see straight!"

As he'd planned, it got Kiel angrier: _"Rippleburst!"_

He dodged that, but faltered a bit; that wasn't rage on Kiel's face, it was _pure hatred_. How did he make him _that_ angry so easily, that he couldn't even take one insult? Behind Kiel though, Lok saw Raijin hovering, the bigger man somehow missing the subtle crackle of electricity completely...

Well, he didn't understand this, but if it blinded him to crucial parts of the battle, he'd take it! And they'd have to work fast; Efreet King was still coming, and it had taken a Powerbonded Legendary Titan to take it down last time!

Raijin read this easily-

"Now!"

-Raijin moved forward, but then Kiel - without even looking - reached back and held him by the throat.

His eyes still burned, but Kiel managed a grin... more of a grimace in practice though. "You really thought I'd fall for the same trick, boy?"

"Mmh, no, but apparently you forgot what element Raijin is made of" Lok merely said.

Raijin ceased his struggle, and closed his eyes - instead of riding the electricity, he _became_ it. Literally, his form dissolved into a spherical mass of barely-contained impulses... all of which Kiel was directly connected with. Lok flinched a bit watching this, knowing it was anything but harmless (he remembered that much from class), but still... Kiel landed face-first, his body smoking, but merely unconscious. Somewhere in the back of his head, Lok was counting his lucky stones that he'd actually manage to take him down so soon - still, even as Raijin worked to calm himself back to normal, he used Darkfog on two soldiers who attempted to get them from behind. Then seconds later, Raijin reformed, but utterly exhausted from the process.

That Lok could understand, even without the specifics. "Take a break, big guy" he said easily, recalling him to his amulet, then he quickly looked across the battle. Kiel was unconscious, most of the soldiers were still kicking, as were a good number of their Titans. In particular, he saw Tyrannos backed up against a tree, before the dinosaur took the tree in his jaws, ripped it out of the ground and used it as a bat; six of Lernaean Hydra's nine heads held a Marauder between their jaws, leaving him writhing while two struck repeatedly, the remaining one trying to keep an eye out. Sophie he saw, was fighting hand-to-hand now (Cherit assisting by being a general nuisance to the soldiers), but with extremely restricted movements; she was avoiding flipping and high kicks and such like the devil... still, she was okay, but where was Timaeus?

Some soldier slammed his back with an Augerfrost, sending him to a knee, making him grunt as it painfully jolted ( _"Ow!"_ )... however, when the shadow behind him got close, he turned straight around, _"Touchram!"_

Surprise!

"Cath!" she called, looking around quickly and seeing her some distance away, her legs behind Ironsquire's shield, where a fairly big group had cornered them. "You okay!?"

"Good so far!" she called, alight with fear + adrenaline.

 _"Boltflare!"_ Lok still called, hitting a caster in the back, but the others jumped out of the way or were covered by Stormshield; rats. However, the others jumping out of the way allowed Ironsquire to charge forward, bashing several of them... and then, something touched down behind the others, kicking another away. Cathy's surprised call said it all; "Shadow!"

He smiled a bit; whether she summoned him earlier or he came regardless didn't matter, as Shadow disappeared and tripped up a few soldiers. Now, back to the overall-situation-all-in-a-few-seconds...

Lok knew his team could take the soldiers and their Titans, given time and effort. But they had an incoming problem; Kiel's Efreet King, still yet to show, but bound to by every rule in the Huntik Book. Then he glanced at the Willblade - did he need Pendragon?

 _"No, I don't think so, not yet at least"_ he thought after a moment, looking around quickly; didn't want to get caught off-guard again. _"Timaeus may not be the strongest Legendary Titan in combat, but he's still a Legendary Titan; he knows some tricks."_

With that in mind, Lok quickly manipulated the handle, keeping an eye on anyone/thing that might try to hurt him. With it, he took out Pendragon's amulet, and replaced it before settling the handle back the way it had been.

Then his instincts kicked in, and he looked up quickly; a burst of light coming toward them. But who's?

...

Not knowing Lok was getting an answer to that, Sophie looked up from her headlock of the nearest soldier, smirking. "Well, it's about time" she said mildly, before hitting a pressure point on the soldier's neck with her fist, making him go limp instantly. Behind her, Cherit blasted another soldier in the chest with a (weakened) energy blast, before he wearily settled on the branch he was laying on. Even as Cherit lay there though, the main bulk of the tree continued changing due to the energy being flung around.

She hoped he'd be okay, but she'd make sure Cherit wouldn't get attacked.

With no ocean to swim in, Timaeus contended himself with floating in mid-air, looking at her with that same steely calculating gaze. She thought to him immediately; they were expecting a powerful enemy Titan soon, and they could use his power. To help, she also added small bits of her memories from Powerbonded Pendragon vs. Powerbonded Efreet King. "For now though" she said out loud, determined. "-A little help wouldn't-"

At the exact same moment, she and Timaeus both turned toward the sky again, their instincts kicking in.

The red light soon landed; a floating fire tornado with a demon's body, Powerbonded Efreet King.

Sophie held herself at the ready, Timaeus raring to go as well; still, she remained wary.

Upon seeing his Seeker yet again unconscious, Efreet King roared, flames flickering across the ground as he hovered - and in doing so, threatened to blaze over the area where Den and Zhalia were (they quickly moved, but the enemy followed). In that roar, Lok yelled something by holding up the Willblade, even glowing, but she couldn't hear it- yet she didn't need to, recognizing what he was doing.

"What I need to do" she said to herself, picking up a nearby thick branch, trying to ignore the sharper spikes. "-is stall."

With all her strength, she threw the branch and impacted the back of Efreet King's head, who immediately roared again, coming straight at her - Timaeus moved quickly.

Or more accurately, he bent the laws of normal space: Timaeus became a visual blur while moving, then materialized somewhere else – she couldn't look at it without getting dizzy. Despite having that happen, Sophie felt where he'd appear next, thanks to the mental bond. Efreet King attempted to punch the Titan as it came at him, but only hit empty air (upon contact which physically jolted his fist) - then Timaeus appeared right behind him, opening his mouth, emitting a piercing screech that visually distorted the air around them, making Efreet King writhe. Despite having her ears covered, it still physically affected Sophie... luckily for her, it's range was short. She shook it off as quickly as she could:

"Alright then" she breathed quickly, moving to avoid being nearby, and to scour for more environmental objects she could use; until this spell wore off, it's all she had in addition to her wits.

...

 _"Nullcurse!"_

With a sound, Cathy moved away from that, blocking another soldier's hook. Then when the other soldier attempted to rush in, she grabbed his arm and swung him around into his friend, sending the two sprawling directly into the feet of the one who cast Nullcurse. "Hah hah, _Touchram!_ " she panted, blasting them a distance away, right to where Ironsquire stood. It took a moment, kicking away a Midnight Rook trying to distract him, but he used his shield and banged their heads together with it. But during all that, she could feel waves of energy originating behind her, from far away - that, and sounds of angry dolphin chittering.

 _"They're that strong? - Yes, but I hope you never have to, Cathy."_

 _"Well, now I have"_ Cathy thought a little weakly, knowing her dad was right; this power was actually physical, not just in looks or their innate abilities. She could barely imagine the three under the control of this Professor guy-

She shook herself a bit; cross that bridge when she gets to it! For now, it looked like this was working - making her determination work for her, even on something she wasn't into, was helping a bit. Then she quickly looked around, finding that the area had been leveled (not just by earlier blasts)... many of the soldiers had already disappeared, via their mark glowing and taking them along with it, as had their Titans.

Ironsquire and Shadow soon joined her, motioning toward the left, which she looked at - she hadn't even called Shadow, but he'd somehow pulled himself toward her! She didn't know how she felt about that, but Shadow had quickly recognized her earlier talks with Sophie and Den, and how she was to try and show what she wouldn't accept.

At the very least, he was considering this; but now wasn't the time for it.

Cathy saw Tyrannos struggling with a particularly stubborn Nightlurker chewing his back, Lernaean Hydra trying to pry it off, but not able to cling so well on his back either. Also, she saw Den Hyperstride onto Nightlurker's back, doing something but still not managing to dislodge the Titan, even as Zhalia held off the remaining soldiers from stopping him. Near Zhalia's legs was a strange lizard Titan, who hissed and shot eye-beams at anyone trying to sneak up on them, covering her from behind that way.

"L-Let's go" Cathy breathed, already starting to run... however, Ironsquire's + Shadow's new instincts stopped her; something was coming toward them!

Oh what now!?

Soon she heard it... a sort-of rampaging force, ripping through the underbrush and trees very easily. And a bit of a rotating whir sound-

-it smashed through the trees ahead of them like they were sticks, while Ironsquire protectively placed himself (shield-first) between them, and Shadow poised to get her out of the line-of-fire if this proved ineffective. However, there was no impact, but the whir continued - looking at the shadows, she saw it hovering over them... then change direction entirely. Cathy gasped, not sure what just happened, but moved from under the shield to get a better look- it was heading straight for Tyrannos and Lernaean Hydra!

"Zhalia! Den!" she called.

Zhalia + the lizard Titan dove out of the way (just then it's name came back to her, from Kerry; Gareon), then the rotating whir thing bowled straight through the soldiers, knocking them away in different directions - Lernaean Hydra hissed with most of it's heads, but one grabbed Den by the shirt collar (with much surprise from him), then jumped off the dinosaur's back. Tyrannos's eyes narrowed, but he roared at the incoming Titan... who changed directly slightly, whirring right past it's head by a matter of inches, with Nightlurker screeching as it found itself in the new Titan's path. Bam - the Titan returned to one of it's unconscious owners, even as Tyrannos growled slightly, suspicious.

The rotating whir just continued on it's way, blasting a path through the forest growth behind Tyrannos, until it was well out of sight.

Cathy quickly ran up, seeing the immediate area un-moving of anyone/anything, least for now. "What was that!?"

"I don't know" Den said, now on the ground and panting a bit, giving a mixed look to Lernaean Hydra for his pickup (the snake Titan just used it's multiple heads to pick at debris clinging to it's scaly skin; Tyrannos slowly came up to them, sniffing the air). "Wild Titan maybe? Still, I saw him intentionally miss Tyrannos, so that's something."

"But why?"

"Yes, _why_."

The two of them turned toward Zhalia, who's expression/tone were suspicious as well, but not in the hostile way; actually, it might have seem liked she was adding something up. "W-What do you mean, Zhalia?" Cathy asked.

"Let's just say I'm getting a feeling" she said, glancing off at where the rogue Titan had run off. Beside her, Gareon was keeping an eye on everything, including her and Den.

As if to puncture her point, an explosion of some sort sounded a good distance away. Only then did it occur to her that the battle had separated them from her brother and Sophie - how did that happen!? It all just seemed like a blur to her, so how did they move a hundred feet away from them!?

"Come on!"

Cathy jolted, then shook it off. "Ah, yeah, right" she breathed, following behind Zhalia and Den, their Titans coming as well.

* * *

When the soldiers and Kiel returned, still unconscious, he just grunted... however, the lack of angered reaction to this arrival didn't strike him as right.

"Something you wish to say, Murdock?" Shauna asked, unconcerned.

"Well, yes" he said, glancing up from his monitoring Zhalia's mark + the battle, which still remained active (for now at least). "Kiel and more of our soldiers have just failed to do anything more than stall the team, again. Even without Eathon-"

"With, without, alone; it doesn't matter" she spoke dismissively, Wind just behind them, adjusting something around his face. "I anticipated this; heroes always find a way to win individual battles, even without the 'help' of our soldiers. And the plan takes advantage of this; we simply get in their way to goad them in a particular direction, as expected."

"Then what's the point?" he demanded, but still indirectly wondering what Wind was doing back there. "If they're gonna beat us, now or at the end of the ultimate goal, why goad them?"

Shauna merely smirked at him. "Who says this is us being beaten?" she asked dangerously.

He slowly sighed, letting the subject drop, because he knew that was all the answer he was going to get without testing her patience. Plus, clearly this was all the point... he just wasn't allowed to know the full plan until it happened, which bothered him. But he'd do his part; he detested the world as it was, and would be glad when it burned, thanks to personal experience. So, he returned his attention to listening in on Den's voice, who was currently conversing with Zhalia - something about what to do to help out a strong-but-weak-in-defense/speed Titan of his.

And he listened, but Murdock also kept an eye on Wind - he hadn't dared ask about the bandages, but he'd always wonder, and get any clues he could gather.

Wind held up a strange fruit they'd found here... then using his other hand, they both began to glow. Then the fruit dissolved entirely, into a sort of gaseous form, which moved straight toward Wind's face - his mouth, particularly.

What the?

"Now then-"

Murdock quickly looked at Shauna, who had stood up, looking at the unconscious Kiel, hands on her hip. "I think after this humiliating defeat, his anger will be off the charts, and he'll be ready" she said with satisfaction. "Just needs to grow a little more."

The way she said that gave him a feeling; whatever she was gonna do to/with Kiel, it would happen soon. And by the sound of it, it was a _final_ solution of sorts...

Murdock looked back at Kiel, who was still unconscious, the amulet of Efreet King still clutched in his hand... wait a minute, was that-?

It was; a crack had appeared on it.

* * *

 _Minutes before_

Man, Den really wished those soldiers hadn't taken out Kaioh - a Powerbonded Efreet King was nothing to sneeze at! In a way though, he was glad; Kaioh didn't do well against fire. Still, he stared at the scene - Lok + Dendras and Sophie + Timaeus vs. Efreet King. He wouldn't hesitate to rush in there, but it was a little harder to order Zhalia and Cathy what to do if needed. Gah, what was going on; he could order Titans fine, but this!? He felt all that in the space of a split-second... and anyway, Zhalia was quicker than he was:

"We'll surround it" she said intently, looking at Cathy. "Den and I will be with Lok and Sophie as the main force; you provide backup. Hit-and-run if you need to, but stay safe."

Now that the ball was rolling, he found it easier to respond (hmm...). "And while hitting-and-running, Cath" he added, starting to run forward. "Disrupt it's attacks or it's attention; whichever you think is best!"

Zhalia briefly ran past him ( _"Shadowspeed!"_ ), but she had enough time to direct a knowing glance at him. Den merely nodded, then stopped a few feet away, seeing Timaeus jump through a dimensional portal, just avoiding Efreet King's hand... which then got stuck between two different portals.

 _Ouch._

Still, Den saw his chance: _"Boltflare!"_ he cast, hitting it straight on the arm.

Efreet King struggled even more, growling at him, but in the space of seconds had to contend with even more attacks. First up, Ironsquire's shield floated in and hit his shoulder before veering off, then Efreet King blocked a thrown branch with his free hand, but that left him open to a combined Augerfrost and Touchram assault on his back. Still, at that point, Timaeus's dimensional portal finally released him (unharmed), and he turned... only to get pricked by Shadow on his back, who then jumped off (by the sound of it, Cathy had 'not' ordered that, but let it go). Despite that, Efreet King breathed fire, which Dendras tried to block with dual streams of fire and ice, but it was too powerful for him and he returned. _"Armorbrand!"_ Lok called, but the backlash still forced him backward.

Just then, Lernaean Hydra and Tyrannos ran past Den, slithering in the former's case. _"Augerfrost!"_ he called, hoping to distract Efreet King long enough that they could get close. It barely did, but apparently Sophie understood - Timaeus went straight through Efreet King's head (he wasn't kidding), then from behind him, screeched in his ear loud enough that the rest of them heard; like a jet engine from hundreds of feet away level of intensity. And Timaeus wasn't done, first tail-slapping the stunned Efreet King's head, then biting down on what he could reach. Lernaean Hydra and Tyrannos stumbled upon their way due to the dolphin's screech, but kept going anyway, which was better than his recovery time!

Lernaean Hydra changed direction, blasting poison globs, though only a few actually hit because of the flames - then just as Efreet King was slammed by Ironsquire's shield, Tyrannos roared as he charged straight at him, head-butting the Titan backward. Efreet King countered with a punch they all felt, especially Den as Tyrannos reeled from the head blow, then he bit upon Efreet King's torso. The teeth dug in where they could, damaging the golden armor with cracks, and it caused pain on both sides (Den could feel his teeth heating up from the fire through their link)... but not enough to stop Efreet King's next punch to the skull.

"No!" he called, before grunting as Tyrannos returned - okay, now he was even more determined to take this thing down!

"Den, look up!"

Lok's voice - he looked up, even as Shadow kept Efreet King busy for now (Cathy added a Raypulse).

A blue light, coming in fast, which then transformed in mid-air - it grew wings, a serpentine body and a golden headdress; Queztalcoatl! The Legendary Titan growled as it regarded the scene below it.

 _"Alright, now it's a party!"_ Den thought, aiming again. _"Shadowbind!"_ he called, shooting ropes of darkness, digging his feet into the ground when Efreet King resisted, Gareon taking advantage with his eyebeams. On the inside, he had to give credit to his brother for this spell during their last time; it was a good one (if only his opponent wasn't a Powerbonded Titan). Still, he held on long enough that Timaeus AND Lernaean Hydra bit into the demon's body, with enough force to crack the armor. But then, just as Queztalcoatl started to descend, Efreet King spun himself into a fire tornado (Quetzalcoatl barely avoided it), throwing both the clinging Titans off! The exhausted Lernaean Hydra returned to Zhalia, who wasn't happy - Timaeus managed to hang in there, bits of him sizzling badly.

But Den had a bigger problem; the moment Efreet King had spun, it essentially dragged the ropes and him along with it. He skidded across the ground, spitting out dirt; ah, that's disgusting! Still, a fiery warmth above him made him fear... just as the flames would have hit him, Ironsquire protected him!

"Den!"

"Cathy!" he breathed, a little dazed that she was risking this little forest fire, even as she dragged him away. At the same time, Ironsquire trembled from the force hitting his shield, but Efreet King was struck in the back by Quetzalcoatl - the resulting blast tearing his armor off completely. Efreet King was getting more and more angry, but still he remained.

"What the hell!?" Den heard from Sophie. "Why isn't he returning to Kiel!?"

"I don't know!" Lok called, but he gestured at Queztalcoatl. "But we gotta take him out! Everyone!"

A lot happened at once...

Timaeus phased right through Efreet King, using a Sonic Screech - then Quetzalcoatl hit him again, both with energy blasts, and a tail strike. The Titan _would not go down_ ; _"Augerfrost! - Acidheart!"_ Lok and Zhalia blasted, with Sophie still throwing tree branches for some reason, but Efreet King kept rising again and again. Shadow descended from the side, stabbing Efreet King's back (who writhed), but the demon's fist caught the side of Shadow's jaw... and he returned to Cathy. Gareon blasted him from several different directions, always trying to stay ahead of the flamethrowers.

 _"Shadowbind!"_ Den called, trying to make sure this Titan stayed down - in his mind though, he was just stunned at this level of endurance. Beside him, Cathy slowly recovered, _"B-Boltflare!"_

The two spells jolted the Titan, and for a moment, he thought he saw something... a ghost image of an amulet being shattered to dust?

"Again!"

Quetzalcoatl flew down from his high altitude, growling as blue energy flickered in his mouth, until he was right in Efreet King's face.

The impact was even more explosive than he'd expected: the force knocked him into Cathy, who luckily kept them both standing. Lok and Zhalia managed to stay on their feet, as did Sophie, though she had an instinctive reaction of sorts. When Den slowly straightened up, he saw the forest had been demolished, everything smoking now... what remained was also twisting in response to what just happened.

Efreet King was just gone.

No return light... no anything but a smoking crater where he had been.

There was a little whimper beside him, and he saw Cathy sink to her knees, looking weak (and her sleeve dangerously close to catching fire, which she mindlessly patted out). "I-I can't keep doing this..." she breathed, her fingers shaking before her eyes.

Den got down beside her. "Cathy, you can't give up on us now" he said bracingly, but also gentle, though both were shaky.

"T-That's not it" Cathy breathed quickly, not looking at him. "It's just that all these attacks, these battles... they've been so quick, almost back-to-back... how I can keep doing this, if I can't even recover!?"

Well, _that_ he could understand - in fact, he remembered himself from the orphanage, before he'd gotten experienced dealing with those bullies on a regular basis. To show he understood this, he gently put a hand on her shoulder.

...

"You okay, Sophie?"

"Fine enough."

Zhalia noted an undercurrent of _something_ in Sophie's voice, and more interesting that Lok knew exactly what this was, but let it go. Still, even as they had this short exchange, Timaeus tried to ignore the serious bruising he'd gotten on his flank, in addition to the sizzling; one of Efreet King's punches had clipped him.

"You, Zhalia?" Lok asked, panting a bit, even as Sophie recalled Timaeus.

"Fine enough, if humbled by what I just saw" she said faintly, and meaning it.

Lok rubbed at his head slowly, but Sophie answered first: "I know what you mean, Zhalia" she said, very subdued. "Efreet King fought as Sabriel did for me, all that time ago - way beyond the normal limits, fighting to protect their Seeker with all their heart."

"Or in this case, to do what Kiel wanted; utterly destroy us" Lok said heavily, slowly sighing. "Kiel and the soldiers themselves long since vanished, just like they all did after the attack."

There was silence between them, including Quetzalcoatl above them - even from down here, Zhalia could feel the heaviness, hinting at the respect and sorrow of the Titan's loyalty to his Seeker. Lok must have felt it too, because he let Quetzalcoatl hang there for a bit, before he recalled them - Sophie slowly walked up beside him, and they shared a look. Then they turned as Den and Cathy walked over to them, though Cathy was a little unsteady on her feet, close to freaking out again (they seemed to have recalled Tyrannos and Ironsquire). Zhalia felt sorry for the poor girl, but also saw the same strength and determination as she did in Lok.

"Cath" Lok breathed, stepping forward, he and his sister hugging. "Will you be okay?"

"I- m-maybe" she said weakly, shaking.

Lok managed a shaky nod, then looked over: "Den?"

"I'm good" he said, with a half-hearted attempted at cheerfulness, before he sighed. "I just... with what happened, and in the Spirit World... is Efreet King dead?"

No one answered for awhile.

"We don't know, Den" Zhalia said heavily, stepping beside him. "We barely know anything about the Spirit World _now_ " she continued, Den slowly nodding his head.

"If he is still out there, Kiel could find him again, somehow - that much I know" Sophie said faintly, as she held out her hand, where Sabriel's icon briefly appeared. "When we bond with our Titans, they never really leave us."

Cathy reacted to that, hand brushing against her own pocket of Titans, even as they all absorbed that moment. Zhalia had to sorta-agree; the idea of a Titan, any Titan truly dying, troubled her.

"Tell me though" Lok continued. "When we got separated, how did you guys get back to us so quickly?"

"We had help" Den answered, glancing up in thought, obviously trying to recall - however, Sophie (who'd remembered Cherit) called Den over to help, so he gave them a glance, and ran off. From a distance, Cherit himself was scratched up, due to the battle, but otherwise just exhausted - somehow, barely, the tree he'd been resting on had avoided the battle's destruction.

Cathy slowly answered for Den: "Ah... well, it was this wild Titan who jumped in - but he only hit the Blood Spirals, n-not us."

"What did he look like, Cath?"

"What he looked like, Lok" Zhalia said, with appropriate gravity, the image still fresh in her mind. "Is that of a rolling Titan, covered in spikes, with hints of golden coloring and four arms."

For a moment, he didn't comprehend... then it was like a shock went through him. Cathy just slowly looked at her, confused; this had happened before her time on this team. And as 'luck' would have it, Sophie and Den weren't hearing this, she noted - if they had, they'd likely know the significance just as well as she and Lok did. Because of all these things, there was another silence for awhile... till the creaking of something wearily got their attention.

However, it turned out to be Eathon, hacking his way through the brush with a combat knife (and aided by Baselaird + Jirwolf).

"Dad!"

Eathon was quick to meet his children's hugs, very tight ones by the look of it. "Lok, Cathy" he breathed, looking over them both quickly, as well as the rest of them. "You're all okay?"

Simple answer, but long story...

* * *

"Does he need another anger manipulation, or whatever it is you're doing?" Murdock asked.

"Of course not! As you can see, Kiel's anger has grown to an optimal point - which makes him perfect" Shauna responded.

This Wind heard, as he did Kiel's mentioned rage ranting in the background, but Murdock still needed to focus on what he was doing. Turning his head, he looked down into the pool of The Betrayer, alongside the man who called himself The Professor.

"Is it time yet, Wind?" the disfigured man demanded brusquely, not one to be patient.

He did not answer in any manner-

-but he didn't need to; The Betrayer's eyes glowed red again, and the water began to stir as he prepared himself.

 _"It is time."_

Wind slowly nodded, then held up the chest that contained Umbra's ashes, opening it.

The Professor grunted, flanked by his three Legendary Titans above. "This had better be worth the effort" he warned ominously, before he held up one hand; the three Legendary Titans gathered their power, all of them glowing a different color. Then the energy they gathered was pooled together into one massive burst, which was then channeled into The Professor - grunting, he then focused it all into one hand, the effort clearly showing in the way that his hand shook. "Well? Get it over with."

Wind merely closed his eyes, raising his other hand. He felt honored, using one of The Betrayer's own spells in his place...

His hand glowed a bright red, afterimages connecting to the energy source in The Professor's hand, and the chest full of Umbra's ashes. He needed all his concentration just to handle the energy demand-

...

 _"Shauna, bring him; I am ready."_

"Yes, Betrayer" she said, before she called out to Kiel, not bothering to disguise anything she was feeling. "Kiel! The Betrayer demands your presence!"

Angered yet again at being interrupted, it took some time before the words actually penetrated that thick skull, and even longer before he actually responded. Murdock glanced between her and Kiel, but wisely decided that he was better off not asking - but no matter, as he would see soon enough.

"And what's so important? Huh!?"

The insolence! If this particular plan wasn't seconds away from completion, she would have killed him where he stood! Beside her, Murdock was smart to step away during this, while The Professor watched with a sort of sadistic interest - that much, at least, she could credit him for. Wind remained at his task, drawing on the energy gathered from the three Legendary Titans.

"Come on!" Kiel demanded, even as the pool water continued to be disturbed. "You're gonna say something or what!?"

With a great hiss, the water almost instantly turned to boiling, yet staying liquid anyway - and out of it, The Betrayer's body rose. She instantly showed her respect, as did Murdock (Wind remained focused on his task), even as he kept his gaze on Kiel. The Professor did not deign to do so, merely scowled slightly.

 _"Normally, I would dispose of such insolence"_ The Betrayer spoke, though the mouth never moved, the eye sockets filled with a red glow. _"But now that my spirit has rested enough, if not this body, I think it is time."_

Without warning, The Betrayer's hand grabbed Kiel by the face, lifting the struggling muscle man off the ground. A red glow emanated off The Betrayer's body, overshadowing all else, except the screams of Kiel - that part Shauna enjoyed.

* * *

 _Outside the Milky Way Galaxy_

In the void of space, even the light from the Milky Way couldn't fill the blackness - and in that void floated a Red Comet, swirling ever so closer to the Milky Way Galaxy, but still millennium away from actually arriving at the edge.

However, something happened to it: a golden glow that did not belong to it. It enveloped the Red Comet-

-and then it was gone.

As if traveling faster-than-light now, the 'view' zoomed toward the Milky Way at a steady pace, the galaxy growing to immense size even from far distances. Then it became too big to comprehend, but still they zoomed in, never stopping and passing many planetary bodies and stars. However, soon they were set to collide with a solar system, almost too late to stop- then out of nowhere, they slowed, coming in at a slower pace (by comparison). The system itself was faint, a bright yellow sun with numerous planets circling it, one in particular a blue little orb with a small moon.

Then, they changed direction, going fast again... they passed a smaller red orb, then a gas giant with a red spot, until they stopped at another gas giant with spectacular rings-

-and the Red Comet leaving the same planet's gravitation, slowly heading further into the system.

* * *

 **Yup... just changed the whole situation right there, and left a cliffhanger on what's happening to Kiel... hehe XD** **In addition, there's that 'mysterious' rolling Titan just passing through, and an 'interesting' incident concerning Sophie.**

 **As an explanation for the latter, it is not intended purely to embarrass Sophie (or Lok), but as an unfortunate side-effect of Magicbind's most basic property - genetically passed down or not, the spell interferes with an individual's magic powers. Don't worry too much though: there will not be excessive focus on this aspect.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	20. Recovery

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Reluctantly, Lok and his team left Eathon, Montehue and Tersly to deal with Shauna's Blood Spiral attack, but soon the Huntik team is waylaid by another group, led by Kiel. The fights are intense, and all sides are hard-pressed to win even with unexpected help, especially after Kiel's favorite Titan refuses to return. At the same time, the Blood Spiral's plans are moving forward, despite the converging efforts of the Huntik Foundation. In particular, the Red Comet is now much closer to Earth than it previously was...**

* * *

 _"Recovery"_

 _Episode 72_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"Gah, this is my favorite outfit..."

Lok sympathized; he liked Sophie's usual get-up as well - now though, due to the battle and thorns, there were a number of holes (luckily none in indecent places). Not that the same couldn't be said for him; he envied the others, who'd apparently escaped this 'fate' by some sort of luck. "Well, we'll find you a tailor soon" he said, she giving him a small look, but still inwardly recognizing that he was trying to lighten things up. Still, he managed to prop up the log, setting it on it's side beside the already-dug firepit (hopefully he wasn't disturbing Den... also, man these things were sharp). With that done, Sophie instinctively moved to sit, before stopping in mid-motion - carefully, she made sure the fabric was against her body before she really did sit down, and carefully too due to the bark.

Lok wished he could help, and he tried to think back, to how long his Magicbind had lasted... well, let's see; he'd been unconscious for awhile, hadn't really needed to use magic till the Nexual spell. Man, that left a big margin, anything from under twenty-four hours! Though, he guessed it was a good thing they were camping out here, as that would allow them to test 12-hour fairly easily tomorrow. And if need be, test it in lesser increments, though they'd try not to get hit of course...

"Sophie, if I may?"

Jolted from his thoughts, Lok watched as dad bent down beside Sophie, looking over a few spots in particular.

"What are you going to do, sir?" she asked, observing this.

Dad merely held up a hand, just over her shoulder, on a spot that had pulled a few threads around the gap. "You'll see" he said, before closing his eyes. _"Fibergrowth."_

Dad's hand began glowing green, while Lok and Sophie were quick to watch what he was doing - then she gasped at something. Lok saw what; the loose clothing fibers around the gap were beginning to grow at an accelerated rate, wriggling slightly on their own, then quickly bumping, combining, and fusing into others. The process repeated infinitely, forming a pattern that built upon itself, getting stronger and stronger... until there was barely any sign that the hole had been there in the first place! Sophie in particular was surprised, lightly picking at the spot, but it remained as strong as any part of her shirt.

"Wow" Lok breathed, before he looked at dad's hole-and-cut-free clothes. "That's some trick you got, dad" he added mildly. "Can I learn it?"

Dad smiled a bit, returning the sentiment. "Well, a survivalist makes use of what he has" he answered first, before nodding. "The trick to this one is feeling the threads, the pattern that they make up. Keeping that pattern in mind at all times, you use your thoughts to guide the loose threads, getting them to form over the gap - without that pattern, they can't form properly, and could unravel the whole thing."

"Keeping it in mind at all times" Sophie said in a thoughtful tone, before casting a slightly amused look at him. "Which requires focus of mind."

"Hey!" he said, despite knowing it was a playful jest - Sophie and dad just laughed at his expense.

...

"Which requires focus of mind."

"Hey!"

Despite herself, Cathy smiled from her spot - clearly those two would _never_ stop playfully snarking at each other. She wished her bro and Sophie luck with that new spell though. Also, she was glad they were _finally_ able to rest again - first that fight with Shadow, a near-battle, then an actual Blood Spiral battle? They could really take it out of you...

 _"And since we're at the foot of the next Legendary Titan, it's needed anyway"_ she thought, remembering how dad had stated so, grateful for it - she could rest now, maybe fully settle things with Shadow tomorrow.

Now if only her fingers would stop shaking...

Her mind couldn't stop going over it; the in-hindsight blur that battle seemed to be. Blocking, counter-attacking, using and reacting to spells - it was simultaneously awesome and terrifying.

Making a sound, trying to overcome the fear, Cathy turned on her side a bit... then jolted when she saw a pair of boots enter her vision.

"Dad?" she breathed, surprised.

"Hey, Cathy" he said, moving to sit beside her. "You okay?"

Knowing he meant the battle, she slowly shook her head. "I-It's just the same as last time, dad" she said, a little uneasily. "I'm okay, sorta, but-"

"It's still hard" he answered faintly, she slowly looking at him again - he sighed. "It's frustrating, and yet true at the same time: these things take time - but it would be nice if they didn't."

Slowly, Cathy glanced down at her fingers, which she noted had slowed in their shaking... because she felt safer with her dad around, though the worry was still dominant. Then she looked at dad again-

-and he hummed a bit. "But while the determination and ability to keep going are important, something else is even more so" he added gently. "The ability to recover between each battle; we all need it to stay sane. Especially during the first experiences."

"Exactly" she said quickly, with relief. "I-I mean - I'm still afraid, and all that... I've said that already, but saying it aloud-"

"It helps, a lot."

At that, she sat up, looking at him - he turned toward her a bit. "You're a lot like your mother, Cathy, but I'm glad to see you have a few of my qualities as well" he continued softly, almost inviting her into a hug.

She took that chance, leaning against him, his strong arms around her quickly.

...

 _"Fibergrowth."_

The spell actually worked this time, starting to repair a spot on her skirt, at the very bottom where a thorn had torn a small section away – a number of inches higher and she'd have been really embarrassed. Shortly afterward, Lok used the spell on her other arm, working even better than the first time. Sophie had to admit, she was jealous that he'd gotten to try the spell before she had... though regardless, the fact that it can be picked up this easily was worth something. Yet still, being under a Magicbind spell and thus unable to repair her own clothes made her feel irritated.

 _"It'll be fine though"_ she thought to herself, disgruntled at herself. _"Sometimes things... just happen like this... *sigh*"_

He continued in silence, except for when he spoke the spell - the results weren't perfect whatsoever, and obviously stood out among extremely-close inspection, but they would do for the moment.

"Sophie, you okay?" he eventually asked.

"I'm embarrassed, but yeah" she answered, cheeks turning slightly red.

A small sigh, then Lok (having finished with the holes he could reach on her right side; his own gaps were sealed as well) sat beside her. "Well, if it helps, you're not the only one" he breathed, glancing at the ground.

"But it's not just that" Sophie said faintly, troubled. "I mean, thanks to this magic, I never had to worry about my modesty, even before I developed the ability to feel modest. And many years ago, I'd made peace with the fact that close-calls still meant nothing was ever really shown. But now..."

Lok slowly looked at her, which she saw in her periphery. "But now, this" he agreed, faint.

Her cheeks reddened more. "And also" she said, shy. "I-I haven't planned on that... for a _long_ awhile, at least."

Lok made a sound, entirely agreeing if embarrassed. "And I'd planned on that taking awhile, myself" he said, only half at her, but sincere.

Sophie looked at him, internally glad that he's also embarrassed, wishing it hadn't happened rather than solely enjoying it (sorta). "Is there any chance we could just forget this, Lok?" she asked.

He crossed his arms, mouth working. "I..." he started, before glancing up in thought. "I-I don't think it's that simple, Sophie."

His words made her heart beat faster, especially since she didn't know where this was going. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean-" Lok said, with his own shyness. "Sophie, it 'happened', and we're both embarrassed. Because... because we wish it didn't this soon, we're not likely to forget it so easily, even if we wanted to."

Despite wanting to deny otherwise, Sophie couldn't help but agree, after a moment - that often happened with memories, pleasant or otherwise. A stray thought doubted he'd read about this, and simply put it together out of experience, but it soon faded.

Then he looked at her, still shy and embarrassed, but managing a curved lip. "That being said-" he said gently. "-though it happened, I'm not gonna let it change 'us', not at all."

Her cheeks still red, she slowly gave him a small look. "So, you're saying to accept it happened, and move on?"

"Y-Yeah."

She wasn't sure how to respond... least yet.

"Come on, Sophie" Lok breathed faintly, but taking her hand. "We're still mostly about this (his fingers tightened slightly in the grip), this (he boldly tapped her lips; she was heavily surprised)... a-and some small parts of this (referring to both their chests with a slight motion), and that's how it's gonna stay for now" he continued, further embarrassed but determined, which she had to give him credit for.

Still-

"If you get any bolder, I might just have to get a restraining order" she hissed to him, making sure no one had seen that.

Lok breathed out, relieved. "Oh, stop exaggerating" he invited, low in volume.

Good thing she'd just begun.

...

"Sleep well, Cathy."

She didn't answer, but her slight stir showed that she'd heard him; Eathon merely smiled, looking at her a little longer.

Cathy had really grown up, just like Lok - he still remembered the time they play-fought, like siblings did, racing and laughing at each other. Of course he and Sandra had made sure they didn't run too fast, and all the standard warnings, but the house had often been full of laughter that way. Now though, those days were gone, and his children had grown - matching his memories of them as kids to the burgeoning-adults they were becoming took some getting used to. He lingered a few more moments, then he stood up, looking across the camp.

Den was already asleep, his mark + Zhalia's disabled from earlier, and Cherit curled on his chest - he had to admit, he'd forgotten how cute that looked. On the other side of the fire, Sophie and Lok appeared to have done good regarding his Fibergrowth spell, but now appeared to be in a playful mode. And it made him proud to see his son enjoying the playful trust they engendered in each other. He looked a moment longer, then swept his gaze across the camp again, looking for- ah, there she was.

Zhalia sat against the bark of a tree, her Holotome up and functioning, talking to a figure - however, after a few moments, Eathon recognized the figure as Dante Vale, who he hadn't seen in a long time; boy had he grown as well. By lip movements alone, it seemed they were discussing recent events that had taken place, on both sides. Watching for a little, he saw absolutely no signs of secrets, concealment, or otherwise in Zhalia's movements. Even as he watched though, he became more interested in the warmth Zhalia was expressing, even though she was reserved and inwardly shy in her expressions of such.

Hmm... if she'd been assigned to infiltrate Dante's team before, and this developed overtime... yes, that could explain a lot.

In a matter of moments, Zhalia ended the communication, before she glanced up. "Spying on me, sir?" she asked without looking, but lightly.

He merely hummed, stepping closer. "I apologize, but I wanted to say that I'm glad you're helping out my son" he merely said.

The corners of her lip curved, even as he sat down beside her. "Lok's a good kid" she said, sincere. "He's proven himself as a Seeker, and more than anything else, he wanted to find you."

That warmed his heart, even though he'd known it to be true for some time. "He's grown into a fine young man" Eathon admitted, wishing he could've seen the process himself. "But I didn't come here purely to talk about Lok."

For that, she didn't answer, but he did see an inkling in her expression.

"I had to admit, hearing your name involved with the Organization made me suspicious at first" he said, looking at her with no reproach. "And mentions of a 'true loyalties' process made me wary."

Zhalia was un-surprised, looking down at the Holotome as she unconsciously put it away. "Even after your kids and the team vouched for me, I could see it" she said, a little wry. "Suspicion regarding me, on if I'd played this team for fools, but so faint anyone else would have missed it."

"And I saw that you recognized this" he added. "But rather than get defensive, trying to hide it, or confront me about it - which would have made me more suspicious - you just did what you normally did."

She nodded. "Indeed" Zhalia breathed. "The last thing I wanted was to drive another wedge between myself and this team. They're... like family; I finally realized that, after reflecting on my time infiltrating the Blood Spirals, even if it was to help them."

Eathon considered this for a moment, along with the history he knew about her. "And I think" he said faintly. "That's what ultimately made me think you were telling the truth, just now; that what you feel toward this team is genuine. Even with a woman as composed as you are, the signs were there - and when you brought the impending news about the Spiral attack earlier, normally prime suspect opportunity, you still acted as you normally did. All you cared about was making sure things worked out, with not the faintest inkling of betraying them. Though I admit, while I now believe otherwise, I always have my eye out."

Zhalia smirked a little, but in a friendly way. "I expected nothing less from a legend" she said, arms crossed.

He chuckled. "Though, I must admit, I'm curious about something else I saw" he said, entirely gentle. "Hints during that Holotome conversation, if you'll forgive me."

She gasped a little, the reserved demeanor evaporating entirely... however, rather than fidget and try to deny it (though she certainly seemed to want to), she instead looked like she was quickly thinking something over.

It was awhile before she answered at all, quietly: "...are you asking me how it happened, sir?"

"Only if you're willing."

She didn't speak for awhile; he waited.

"When I first met the team, I was infiltrating them" Zhalia admitted, nostalgic. "Overtime though, I grew close to them - I tried to lie to myself, move away from it, but it happened regardless. Despite everything though, Dante knew the entire time of my status; I'm certain of that."

"And he trusted you with hesitation, knowing you'd make the right decisions?" Eathon asked - though somehow, he wasn't surprised; Dante had always been a prodigy.

Zhalia slowly breathed out. "Well, Dante being himself, he had plans in case I didn't" she said, faint yet playful. "Still, yeah, he trusted me even when there was no reason to... I-I was touched."

An understatement, Eathon was sure, but he didn't comment. His lip curved a bit, "Rather than dive into the depth of your feelings though, may I offer some advice?"

Jolted, Zhalia looked at him.

He took that as a yes after a moment. "If you have trouble regarding being affectionate, for anything, perhaps you should see it differently" he merely said. "That trouble as your obstacle, what you want as your mission, and so on. That way, you can work to make it happen."

Zhalia looked at him, but an eyebrow slowly raised.

* * *

 _Huntik Beachhead_

 _The next day_

"Where is he?" Dante muttered to himself, worried.

Around him, Santiago and LeBlanche were on their watch over the Blood Spiral prisoners, who had been suspiciously quiet and inactive. However, without proof of what they were up to, if anything, he couldn't just interrogate them over such things. So for now, Dante just had to go with his gut feelings - which were usually right anyway. On his shoulder, Solwing kept a close watch in the opposite direction, covering his vision that way. Ever since he'd found him, the Titan had never left his side - and until he was defeated in battle, it would stay that way.

Solwing cawed a bit, causing him to turn. "Grier" Dante said, quickly approaching. "Where have you been?"

Then Dante saw the large procession behind him; the men Grier had been scouting with (Eathon the dog among their feet), and their Titans... most carrying fairly motionless Organization suits.

"You found them" he said quickly.

Grier slowly nodded, the lines of his face drawn, particularly in the small bags under his eyes. "We found them a great distance from here" he said, in a hard tone. "Near this very large volcano, but there was no longer any sign of the The Professor, or his Legendary Titans. Took us this long just to get here, but we had to travel non-stop."

"And the men?" Dante asked, even as he motioned for the others to start helping out. In the back of his mind though, Dante tried to figure out the distances involved, assuming the distance between points was the same between these dimensions. Zhalia + Den's first incursion had been from Australia, where they'd found the Professor, then the team had gone in from Venice, while the beachhead had been spearheaded from New York. He wasn't a walking calculator, but he was fairly sure the distances were far above normal walking speed, or maybe even extended speeds like with Titans or Hyperstride/Shadowspeed/etc. Especially concerning timeframes of only several days...

Mentally, he sighed - that was also too short a time to understand how big/small/similar-size Huntik actually was, or if there were special conditions that distorted distance. The latter _might_ be likely, given the loose nature of energy here...

Behind them both, Grier's Powerbonded Breaker gradually lowered (at least) six Organization suits down to the ground. 'Eathon' barked twice, and this seemed to direct his two Undergolems to set down another group of suits.

"Massive energy drain, and not just their Seeker energy, but their life force as well" Grier continued after a few moments, teeth gritted. "Plus there are heavy signs of dehydration and starvation going on. But thankfully, due to the loose nature of energy in this dimension, it barely kept most of these men alive... the scientists have many theories about why. Also, we were very lucky; a few of the mens' Titans happened across them, and not only alerted us to this, but brought them all partway best they could. There are still more to bring back here; I have to-"

Dante grabbed the other man's arm. "What you need to do is get some rest, Grier" he said in a hard, but not unfriendly tone. "You've been searching nonstop to find your subjects, pushing yourself hard, and now you have. I'll make sure this beachhead take care of the rest; I give you my word that no further harm with befall them."

Grier didn't turn around, but neither did he try to pull away again.

"Solwing, you help out Breaker" Dante spoke, his friend acknowledging almost instantly - with his strength, he could carry one man fairly easily. "Well, Grier?"

A few moments, then a sigh. "If it were anyone else, I would have ignored them" Grier admitted, slowly turning around. "But you're right, Dante; I'll need my rest for when we do face The Professor."

"I didn't say that, but I'm glad I didn't have to" Dante answered, slowly letting go - Grier managed to crack a smile, for a moment, before he caught sight of more of his weakened subjects. Dante simply clapped Grier's shoulder, before he moved on; he definitely need to have a word with the runners when the next portal opened up. But also, he thought that Titans bringing the Organization suits part of the way back, even painstakingly one-at-a-time if they had to, partly helped with the distance issue.

/

Den grunted, nearly slipping on his grip, but otherwise managing to keep it and continue climbing - luckily for him the drop would've been only a few feet; this mountain-shaped landmark thing had a lot of cliffs they could freely walk on safely. He knew what they're searching for though; a cliff big enough to hold a temporary campsite - while no doubt there was room at the peak, it wouldn't do good to get in the way of a Legendary Titan's test. Plus a full audience never really helped nerves, no matter how composed you were. He just wondered who'd be best for this Legendary Titan. Sophie had taken the Legendary Titan of Intelligence, but what was this one?

Making a sound, he got himself up and over the cliff, before he reached down and helped Cathy up as well. Beside him, Eathon and Zhalia were already observing the layout of the next few cliffs - for now, Lok and Sophie were still below them, at their insistence (and neither would explain why).

"For this next part, we can make it with Hyperstride" Eathon added, before he crouched down.

The rest of them quickly got ready, though Cathy a little nervously.

 _"Hyperstride!x2"_

Eathon and Zhalia went up first, then (surprisingly) Cathy went next, leaving him to stare after her for a moment. Then he smiled a bit before: _"Hyperstride!"_

It went well, then he heard Zhalia call down that they'd found a big open space for their camp-

"Waah!"

"Cathy!" Den called out, clinging to the rock face, quickly looking for her- and there she was! Hanging from both arms by a thick tree branch that was randomly jutting out, flailing a bit, whimpering a bit but managing not to look down thankfully. "Cath!"

"Oh dear" Cherit breathed beside him, worried.

"Cathy! Are you okay!? - "Cath!"

"Doing just fine, dad, bro!" she called, in a weak cheerful voice fueled by adrenaline. "If I can just move right, m-maybe I can jump back onto this branch!"

"Go right ahead" Den said, moving closer hand-by-hand. "I'll catch you if you fall!"

"You can do it, Cathy!" Cherit cheered for her, moving to just beside her.

"I've never been an acrobat, but- okay!"

It took her about a minute, eyes closed, gathering her resolve, and otherwise swinging her body to get the right momentum... but she made the jump. Massively close call on balance, but she made it, entirely disbelieving that she did it. Just plain relieved himself, Den moved over hand-over-hand like he was rock climbing, closer to the branch. "You okay?" he asked, knowing it was an obvious question, but still.

"I- I-I think I'll just climb the rest of the way" Cathy said, fingertips shaking a bit before she clenched them with a jolt.

"Understandable!"

Den chuckled a bit at Cherit's answer; for him, nothing might be worse than the ability to fall from a great height, and _not_ be able to fly. "Well, when we both get up there Cathy, perhaps I can teach you Featherdrop" he said mildly. "When falling from a great height, it slows you down, so you don't die from impact. Sound good?"

"More than you know! Why didn't anyone teach me that earlier!?"

"Good question" Cherit said cheerfully; Den merely sheepishly rubbed his head, guilty as charged about that. But at the same time, he knew they'd still have to work on Hyperstride - it had apparently worked suddenly, but she still wasn't experienced with it whatsoever.

...

Zhalia had to admit, this girl had a _lot_ of inner strength, more than she'd anticipated. First the huge revelation of this world, then thrown into a huge battle she wasn't fully prepared for + going in anyway, taking part in a potentially-dangerous spell, the appearance/reality of this Spirit World, almost back-to-back battles... and she was merely shaking a little each time. Which now included a near-death-drop, at that, but her determination remained. _"Impressive"_ she thought approvingly, arms crossed, looking at Eathon. The man was concerned for his daughter, of course, but she thought she saw a hint of what she did, that he was proud of her.

 _"Still, while she may be keeping together now, when it's all truly over, I have a feeling she's gonna scream. Whether it's in front of us, or when she's alone, is the real question."_

A minute later, Lok got up before he held a hand below him - Sophie came up with his help, very carefully Zhalia noted, before they settled back into the group. About time, particularly since they'd declined to use Hyperstride-

"So dad, what's this new Legendary Titan?" Lok asked, drawing the attention of everyone else. "Did you scan it?"

"I did, now let's see-" Eathon said, digging into his own pack, drawing out his own battered Holotome. "You'll forgive me if it's a bit slow" he said, opening it with extensive care.

"But, wouldn't the batteries have run out of juice?" Sophie asked, a 'little' skeptical - Den slowly thought that she must've missed when he gauged their Titans' total abilities days before. "It's been about ten years after all."

"Yes, it has Sophie, but the nature of this dimension means energy is flowing all around us" Eathon continued, the Holotome beginning to thrum (quite slowly). "I've found that it tends to seep into biological and mechanical processes that are lacking in energy, essentially recharging them - at a substantially low rate."

"Where there goes the practicality" Zhalia said mildly, Den trying to stifle a chuckle - Lok did give a smile, and Sophie's eye roll was playfully amused. Eathon's lip curved as well, before his Holotome finally got the file that he wanted. The image it displayed... what seemed to be that of a war elephant.

 _"Critas"_ it spoke, the feminine voice slowed-down from it's usual. _"Attack: 4; Defense: 7; Type: Legendary Tank; Size: Colossal; Special Abilities: Limited Invulnerability, Damage Sponge."_

"Wow" Cherit spoke, impressed. "Those are some useful abilities to have!"

"But it is limited" Eathon added, closing his Holotome. "And from my observations, the first one takes a long time to recharge - still, even without it, this one's not called the Legendary Titan of Endurance for nothing-"

Endurance, huh?

"-and also, while defense is high, the low attack is unusual. Still, 'Damage Sponge' is a bit misleading, as apparently it only reduces damage, especially in the front, not absorbs it." Eathon continued. "Either way, Critas does have a slowing turning speed, like you might expect from an elephant" Eathon continued.

"Hmm" Lok breathed, thinking. "Well, we can still use his power" he added, before: "Sophie?"

Sophie held a hand on her hip. "Endurance is the ability to withstand, well, just about anything" she stated gently. "Be it physical, mental, or something as simple as allowing another's opinions, without breaking. So in a way, endurance is like tolerance, or even patience."

Even without looking, Zhalia could see everyone's perceptions shifting, changing... and then they slowly looked at her. The only ones late to the shift were Cathy and Eathon, who admittedly didn't know her as well as the others.

Heh, they had her there.

"So" Zhalia said slowly. "Do I have a choice here?"

"You can't tell us you don't want him" Sophie challenged, but mildly, the way she did.

Lok was quick to join in: "Yeah, and you deserve a Legendary Titan by now! Really."

Zhalia slowly breathed out. "Well, glad to see you two can still fall victim to an unneeded question" she said, amused, subtly enjoying the reactions all around. "But uh, thanks Lok."

"Don't forget about me!" Cherit said, flying to her shoulder. "I was with Sophie during her trial; it's only right I help you through yours, Zhalia! If the Legendary Titan allows it, of course."

She smirked a bit, but friendly. "Somehow, I thought you'd insist."

...

Climbing up the cliff, Cherit flew up in small bursts beside her - he was being polite, allowing her to see the Legendary Titan first.

And Zhalia had to admit, though she hadn't shown it, it warmed her heart that Lok thought she deserved a Legendary Titan by now. Plus no one had seen fit to show any sign that they disagreed - now that was something. More than ever, she felt that she'd read the situation wrong, when the Blood Spirals first came... they had needed her more than she thought, being her family. And now here she was, the opportunities to infiltrate either side were extremely difficult, and she was becoming fairly okay with that.

 _"I hope it stays that way"_ she thought to herself. _"Still, here goes nothing."_

With a grunt of effort, she pulled herself up the rise, getting to the very peak of the 'mountain'... which was surprisingly flat. But it had to be to house the Legendary Titan that stood facing her some thirty feet away.

As she'd seen on the Holotome image, Critas's form was essentially that of a elephant, twenty feet tall at that. However, this one didn't include over-sized ears, and had four tusks instead of merely two - sorta like a fictional variant from a movie trilogy, you could say. While he didn't include a war tower or anything big like that, there did seem to be war paint... except at closer look, those were intentionally-colored spots, though from what she didn't see. His main coloring was a leathery gray, and impressive nonetheless. His eyes regarded the both of them, not entirely gentle like many elements, but not aggressive either... they were guarded, careful not to show too much until she'd proved herself.

Though at the same time, the thought crossed Zhalia's mind; why would an elephant choose such a high-up place to settle, temporarily or otherwise? Unless he jumped, he couldn't even get down from here...

"This one's curious about us" Cherit observed after a moment, smiling as he hovered beside her. "Especially since we seem to have been expected."

"And if he wanted us gone, he would have attacked" she added, arms crossed. "Cherit, would you mind being our mental conduit?"

"I'd be honored, Zhalia!"

Slowly reaching for his mind, she felt it as Cherit connected his own mind to Critas's - a shift of eyes was the only evidence he felt this.

Hold on... no, scratch that: _she._

Well, who would've guessed? Not that that's a bad thing obviously.

 _"Look, Critas"_ Zhalia spoke to her, through Cherit. _"I'm not too good at speeches, or used to appealing to live Titans, but I'd like to take your challenge, if that's acceptable with you."_

Critas's trunk flexed a bit, regarding her - quite a bit of time passed, but she refused to show anything other than patience.

"Zhalia?"

"Yes Cherit?"

"I'm getting a message from her" Cherit said, his eyes closed, hands to his temples. "'Be prepared to endure. Spells and Titans allowed. No other assistance allowed.'"

Raising an eyebrow a little, she put a hand on her hip. "Short, and to the point" Zhalia noted. "I'm liking her already."

"It'll be hard for me not to help you though" Cherit said, a little dejected. "Especially since I came up here to help."

"I'll make do anyway" she added faintly. "You know I will."

"I guess so - but I will stay nearby, you can believe that!"

"No surprise there, Cherit; you always give us support that way."

/

For the third time, Den wondered what was going on with Lok and Sophie. Clearly it was a personal thing, the way Sophie was acting fidgety and Lok was distracted around everyone but Sophie (as if his mind were elsewhere), but still. Now they were down below on a lower cliff, presumably talking about this issue, and otherwise leaving the rest of them to wait around for a bit. Well, they were already waiting in the first place for Zhalia to come back-

"Den?"

"Huh?" he jolted, looking around. "Oh, sorry Cathy; just wondering what they're up to."

Cathy hummed a bit, legs crossed. "Well, I did see Sophie being extra careful on the way down, as if afraid to be embarrassed" she said thoughtfully, glancing up, "Though, I wouldn't see why; she's never worried about her modesty before, as far as I've seen."

Den agreed, glancing back at where they'd disappeared to, wondering what could make Sophie embarrassed. Well, other than the idea of being a couple in public (he imagined that would make anyone nervous; even the idea made him hesitant)... but that likely wasn't it, considering how she wasn't all that embarrassed about been seen days before.

"Oh, and Den?"

He looked around again. "Yeah?"

Cathy slowly gave him a sheepish smile. "Any tips?" About being a beginner?" she asked, a little nervous.

He was surprised, but almost instantly, he thought about her hesitation. _"That's right, she was completely new to this world before being asked to help out"_ he thought to himself. _"I had much the same reaction, but due to my brother going AWOL, I joined in to get him back, which did help. But it's still only been weeks for her..."_

"I mean, I'm not saying you're unskilled, just that-!" she backpedaled.

Den merely laughed, rubbing his head slightly. "Nah, I know what you meant, Cathy" he said mildly, to her complete relief. "Compared to Lok, Sophie and Zhalia, or Dante, I am sorta a beginner technically, but I've gotten way better."

Even as he said it, having Cathy's attention on him, as if he were a leader or something made him uneasy... in a split-second, he felt he finally had an idea as to why. As an orphan who'd grown up defending his brother, he did what needed to be done, which made it easy to do what others said (except when it was clearly wrong, obviously). However, having to choose what was best for others, when he didn't know what was best himself? Or worse, between two wrong situations?

Den shook himself out of it; _maybe_ that was it, but now wasn't the right time to go into detail.

"Look, Cathy, having a variety of Titans and strength does help" he acknowledged. "But what's really important is the ability to think on your feet, make use of what you got, and making sure to protect each other's backs. And all things considered, you do those pretty well, even when you're this freaked out."

Cathy made a sheepish sound. "Thank you, and I-I know everyone else thinks so" she breathed, twiddling her fingers - though at the same time, he saw Shadow's amulet in her palm. "I'm glad for that, but until I get more experience, get used to it-"

"It's not gonna be easy" he finished, sympathizing. "Believe me, I know - having to fight my brother while learning all this wasn't easy in the slightest. Even now, I wouldn't want to do that again. But we'll get through it together, all of us."

At that, she smiled a little.

"Indeed, Den, we will."

Looking up (both of them), he saw Eathon coming closer, carrying a bundle of... blue fruit?

Eathon himself sat down on Cathy's right, putting the pack down as he worked. "And if anything helps, it's getting this stuff off our chests, and easing the burden of the mind" he said lightly. "But also, having a full stomach helps as well."

"What are those, dad?"

"Well, I don't know the proper name, but they're quite good" Eathon said, tossing them one each. "I think you'll find them stimulating."

...

 _Meanwhile_

"You ready to give it a try, Sophie?"

"Not at all" she admitted, still a little fidgety. "But how else am I gonna test it?"

"I'll make sure it's on the edge of my vision though" Lok assured, turning his head enough to do so. "The perph- uh, whatever you call it vision."

Sophie smirked a bit, which helped them both. "Peripheral, Lok" she corrected him, before she slowly drew in/let out a breath, making sure he's doing his part correctly.

Then she did a handstand.

With his vision 'blurred' quite a bit at the edges, Lok saw her skirt move thanks to the handstand... falling like normal below (above?) her stomach. He sighed, looking away further, not quite enough to get out this of his vision, but he didn't notice that part: "No good, Sop-"

Then her skirt righted itself against gravity, and stayed that way.

"Hey, it's back!"

"It is!?" she exclaimed, breathing out in relief as she carefully got out of her handstand. "Finally!"

Lok breathed out, quite relieved himself, quickly running forward. "And now we know; roughly twelve hours" he said, clapping a hand to her shoulder. "Still a good while, but not entirely devastating."

Sophie took a moment to recover from blood-rushing-to-her-head issues, but smirked. "My opinion's a _little_ different, but more-or-less" she answered, smoothing her hair a little. "I'll make sure to change though, in case the magic decides to act up" she continued, glancing down at herself.

"Well, I think that's unnecessary, but it's your choice" Lok answered sheepishly, moving his hand down her arm, taking her hand in his. "But why rush? We're not in a hurry."

A moment where Sophie looked at their hands, surprised, but when she glanced at him, it was with faint playfulness. "Now of all times?" she asked mildly, still giving him that little smirk. "All anyone has to do is look down at us, and then-"

"If you're thinking that I'm asking you to be 'very' close, then no" he added, slowly chuckling, if a little embarrassed at the thought. "Because you're right: all I'm asking for anyway is a little of our usual. Emphasis on 'little'."

Her cheeks were slightly pink, but she did smile, and her other hand slowly joined in on his. "Well, I was just about to ask where your 'want' came from" she said softly, getting closer, slowly touching her head to his neck. "Because so far _I've_ been the one starting things, for the most part."

That made him a little embarrassed, but Lok did smile, holding her close to him. "Well, better late + small than never, I guess" he breathed, sheepish, slowly kissing her hair.

Mmh, he liked that scent... and the actual kiss was just as great.

After she pulled away though, she gave her usual smirk, lightly pushing him in the shoulder. "Now then, shall we?" Sophie asked, gesturing upward.

Lok chuckled, getting ready himself. "Sure."

 _"Hyperstride!"x2_

Seconds later, he landed back on the campsite cliff, finding a bemused Den looking at him. "What took you guys so long?" he asked, still in the process of eating something. "You nearly missed out on the food Eathon gave us."

"Food grows up here too, sir?" Sophie asked, surprised.

Eathon shrugged a little, holding up three pieces of this strange blueish fruit. "It seems so; there's a tree growing on the other side of this particular cliff. And I thought we could use a little snack, especially one that adjusts itself to the eater's taste buds."

"Wait- it does what?" Lok asked, not sure he heard right, looking at Sophie (who had a similar look).

Dad hummed a bit, hefting up one, and offering the other two to them, which they slowly held. "Well, without access to high-end technology, I can only guess at this point. But I think, due to the nature of this dimension, some small parts of the fruit's matter are very loosely organized, at least by our standards... and thus, when they come into contact with more solid matter, adjust themselves to the solid matter. Somewhat, anyway; I can only guess-"

* * *

 _"Raypulse!"_

Critas moved slightly as it struck her eye, but due to the muscles having closed, apparently didn't do enough and merely jolted her.

Zhalia breathed out, thinking it's defense stat wasn't exaggerating, because even without 'damage sponge' in the front (should be reduction), this elephant was a tough customer like you'd expect. _"Then again, I'm not attacking anywhere near full capacity either"_ she acknowledged. _"There are plenty of ways to deal with a strong-but-slow foe, rather than just attacking head-on where damage is blunted... But the point is not to win or show physical power."_

In front of her, Strix, Hoplite and Redcap agreed, at least in the back of their minds - on some level, they much preferred true battles, rather than tests.

Still, Zhalia got back in her ready stance; at least they were sure how to go about this test.

"Let's go."

Hoplite and Redcap charged forward, even as Strix flew up above Critas, hovering - the Legendary Titan eyed it, but mostly kept her attention on the other two. Redcap came straight in with a lunging claw move, glanced off Critas' tusk, but did not let up - Hoplite meanwhile attempted to exploit the movement, but Critas swung her head, nearly missing Hoplite and causing him to rear. This allowed Redcap to score a hit on her leg, but it barely seemed to scratch her... then with surprising suddenness, Critas used that same leg to kick Redcap away, before the burst of energy disappeared and she lowered her leg more slowly.

 _"She tanks attacks and returns them in concentrated doses, through it's own energy, upping the slow speed in those moments"_ Zhalia noted, approving. _"Very good."_

Redcap snarled, struggling to get up, but Strix took advantage of the attack and flew in, all three of them going to a different location on it's head. Critas moved, her trunk coming up-

 _"Doublespell! Poisonfang!"_

The two spells did little but sizzle against her flank, but drew her attention (eyes only). That was all the time Strix needed-

 _Boom_

Redcap and Hoplite quickly backed away as the explosions rocked Critas' head, the magical energy slow to dissipate. As Zhalia expected however, when it cleared, Critas was just slowly shaking her head, blinking slowly as her eyes adjusted - she was scratched up though. Having Strix return, Zhalia knew the other two would soon as well, and pulled out two amulets. _"Manifest, Gar-Ghoul, Kilthane!"_

Critas used her trunk to swipe at Redcap, the latter managing to duck under + get both claws on it, trying to keep it in place - Hoplite scored a glancing blow on her face, but the elephant's eyes narrowed. With a great yank, Critas used her trunk (and the attached Redcap) and bashed Hoplite, sending both Titans flying away... which including their lights returning. Zhalia grunted, stepping backward at the force; perhaps they were sorta her weaker Titans, but that didn't dull the blow much. Critas briefly trumpeted something, carefully stepping to face her again silently-

Zhalia just smirked a bit, standing up straight. "Don't worry, I'm not nearly done" she assured. _"Boltflare!"_

The spell jolted her head, but still didn't faze Critas much, nor did her use of Augerfrost after that; to her, they were little more than friendly punches on the shoulder, thanks to the second ability.

This still bothered her, but Zhalia kept reminding herself that her task wasn't to subdue or win; it was to prove herself.

She was just about to call out Venomhand, when Gar-Ghoul slammed in from above, growling slightly as his wings flared up. And apparently by coincidence, Kilthane joined in as well, standing up from his half-kneeling position.

 _"Here we go"_ Zhalia thought to herself, while meanwhile, she could feel the underlying steeling; her two Titans were readying themselves for an intentionally ineffective charge, to lose even, so she could prove herself.

She appreciated it.

"Kilthane, Knight's Assault!"

He ran forward, and at the same time, Gar-Ghoul blasted Critas with high-pressure water, forcing her head off to the side - Kilthane used that opening to dash in, and with great speed, wove a complex-but-impressive series of strokes on the Legendary Titan. On any other opponent, they would have been a devastating blow, but here they forced the elephant back a step. Critas moved her head in a big sweeping motion, which mostly missed except for the tusks, hitting Kilthane's shield and sent him skidding back. Even as Critas brought her gaze back, the water clinging to her face began to freeze over, including over an eye (which quickly closed before it was too late, forcing the ice to form over it; smart).

From the sidelines, Zhalia smirked a little.

Critas trumpeted, using her trunk to smash the ice off, but Kilthane and Gar-Ghoul were already charging in. Kilthane jumped up high, whereas Gar-Ghoul clung to Critas' tusks, struggling to weigh the elephant's head down - this allowed Kilthane to land up there, and he proceeded to land alternating blows with his sword and shield, even as Critas' head tittered dangerously.

 _"Darkfog!"_

Due to an offhand movement, her spell only half hit Critas' visible eye - still, it served to irritate her. Zhalia's two Titans' continued attempts to pound at her (via sword/shield bashing and water blasting) only served to exasperate this irritation.

Until she saw a change in Critas' eyes-

-then the tusks _retracted into her body._

Gar-Ghoul was suddenly slammed against Critas when the tusks retracted, falling down to the ground hard. Still, he got up, growling slightly-

 _Snick_

Zhalia groaned as sharp pain flared in her ribs, at the same time as Gar-Ghoul roared - weakly, she looked up; Critas' two left tusks (which Gar-Ghoul had been clinging to) had re-extended... right into Gar-Ghoul's chest.

The Titan trembled at the tusks in it's body, blunted by his armor, but luckily the points hadn't speared through his back - the Legendary Titan just regarded him. Kilthane attempted to stab Critas in the eye, but Gar-Ghoul roared something, making him pause - Critas apparently added onto this, and Kilthane slowly stopped, but didn't get off. Feeling their emotions, it was a mixed bag... but it seemed this was part of the test, and regarding each other. Zhalia couldn't make sense of all of it, but there was an undercurrent of how hard they would fight, not just for themselves, but for her.

Growling, Gar-Ghoul breathed an icy stream of air, and soon frost began rapidly forming up the tusks. Critas moved slightly, but did nothing about it, the frost swiftly moving up from her tusks to her skin... they seemed to be trying to reach every inch they could, though the rate slowed with every passing second. Only once it stopped did Gar-Ghoul give in, returning, and almost sending Zhalia to a knee with the energy drain. Panting, she slowly looked up at Critas, who regarded her back. She saw no satisfaction from Critas, or any signs that she'd done that out of anger.

Slowly getting it, Zhalia looked at Gar-Ghoul's amulet - even as she watched, no cracks had appeared, and none continued to show up.

"Alright" she breathed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "You want to see how I handle pain, as part of the test, Critas? Well, I've faced worse guilt than any pain you can throw at me."

At the same time, sensing her intentions, Kilthane jumped off of Critas - planting himself firmly between his master and the Legendary Titan, ready to pick up the battle once again. Critas moved slightly, her eyes changing briefly - and Zhalia thought she saw approval in them.

Then Critas trumpeted her challenge, and Kilthane answered it, charging straight forward.

"Kilthane!" Zhalia called, figuring 'why not get it over with?'. "Black Spin!"

Throwing aside his sword and shield, the Titan reached behind his back and - with effort - _disconnected_ the armored section that held his eight 'spider blades' attached, dislodging the cape in the process. Still running, Kilthane held it in one hand and moved his arm back as far as it would go, then threw it like a discus, straight at Critas's head. It soared toward the Legendary Titan with a faint whir, all eight blades moving at blinding speed, almost certain to pierce through any normal foe. However, Critas did not move, merely braced herself-

The blades collided at high speed, but rebounded _just_ short of touching the Legendary Titan's skin; a faint golden glow was protecting her.

The vaunted 'limited invulnerability' no doubt; so it manifested physically, yet apparently took awhile to recharge, so strategic use of it was called for.

Critas' block didn't deter Kilthane; he used the time to regather his sword and shield, leaving his eight bladed section to embed itself in the rock (before falling over due to the angle). He charged Critas once again, even faster now due to shedding his 'back' - Critas used her trunk for a blunt blow, sending Kilthane skidding to the right, but he managed to keep his momentum going. To give him cover, Zhalia used Augerfrost to distract the Legendary Titan, but did not succeed; Critas brought her trunk swinging down, slamming into the ground upon impact. Kilthane tanked the concussive impact, and plowed through the dust-

Critas trumpeted, a tinge of pain in there.

Zhalia gasped slightly, intent on seeing this for herself.

The dust cleared quickly, and both Titans were utterly still; Kilthane's blade had managed to pierce her trunk, using all of his strength. The wound was not a deep one, or bleeding (if Titans bled), but clearly had left a mark. A moment passed by, then Critas and Kilthane slowly regarded each other... Zhalia wasn't sure what the Legendary Titan communicated, but through her bond, she felt Kilthane's mutual respect. And a grudging admittance of defeat. Critas withdrew her trunk out of Kilthane's sword, moved it to the left a little, ready to strike - Kilthane just made a gesture.

Zhalia glanced away, not wanting to see this, but gave a long drawn-out groan when Kilthane returned.

This time the energy drain drove her to her knees-

-something splashed against her hand.

Quickly, she brought her hand up to her nostrils, only to feel the trickle.

Had the shared pain of the blow caused this, or was it just a vein bursting upon the sudden pressure of her energy drain? Zhalia wasn't sure, but it stopped dripping after the first fifteen seconds. More than that though, she felt how low her energy was - still enough for one more Titan, maybe. But to do so, she risked even worse injury than a minor nosebleed.

 _"If nothing else, I have to make the option obvious to this Titan."_

Digging into her pockets, slowly getting up, Zhalia brought out an amulet at random (only when she looked did she see it was Harlekin's). As soon as she thought about summoning him though, she stopped. Maybe it was the slight exhaustion, or maybe Critas was faster than she wanted to show, but when Zhalia looked up, Critas had gotten considerably closer. The Legendary Titan did nothing, just regarded her with those eyes, carefully showing nothing but taking in the depth of the situation. Despite herself, she managed a slight smile.

"...do I pass or what?" she asked faintly.

Critas regarded her moments longer, then slowly moved her trunk, reaching for something just behind it's head - the motion could have been seen as preparing to attack her, but she saw no tension, and Critas had no reason to trample or slap her. So Zhalia watched as she brought the trunk down just as slowly, until the tip hovered near/in front of her head, curled a bit as if grasping something. Getting the idea, she held out her free hand, even as she put Harlekin back in her pocket. Uncurling itself, what Critas held fell neatly into her hands.

Her amulet; a ring made out of a thick material, mostly black but interworked with streaks of gray, a large orange stone set at the top.

 _"Strong, and to the point"_ Zhalia thought again, holding it up closer. Out loud though, she looked up at Critas, "Thank you" she told her, slowly closing her hand over the amulet-

She grunted... great, because she was weakened, proving her will was even more difficult.

But she wouldn't yield; she'd gotten this far.

Partway through the process however, a vision burst upon her-

 _She saw the Huntik Beachhead, and in particular, Dante moved near the (very large) group of bound Silent Soldiers. He looked suspicious for a moment, then it slowly disappeared as he appeared to consider something. Then suddenly it changed completely, to her surprise - now she saw an entirely different locale, which look like it had been heavily blasted by artillery. The scene only lingered for a split-second, so she couldn't make sense of all the people there, but she did see hints of friends and allies (some of them, at least). Then, however, it showed her and Dante in a different area of the same locale, his hand on her shoulder-_

 _She moved forward suddenly and kissed him._

The vision ended as quickly as it'd begun, and she staggered backward, her contest of wills having been resolved without her noticing. Even as she processed this, Critas slowly turned away from her, apparently going back to her usual spot.

"What the-?" Zhalia breathed, flustered. "Dante, we..." she trailed off, remembered how she'd wanted to change things, and now apparently (if this vision would happen) she'd kiss him in public. That... wasn't quite how she pictured things happening. But then again, perhaps that was an attempt by her to overcome an obstacle, as per advice. And on a side note, why did the vision change, showing her different things? Unless of course, one or more was something happening right now, while the other was foreshadowing.

Eventually: "Zhalia?"

"...Hmm?"

"Is it safe to come up now? Is the test over?"

"Ah, yeah, Cherit; I've succeeded" she said, slowly turning around - just in time to see Cherit come up from below the cliff.

"That's great news!" he cheered, flying once around her before hovering. "But, are you okay?"

"More like unsure" she slowly admitted. "Cherit, did Sophie- did she have a vision, when she went through her test?"

Cherit looked surprised. "Yes, she did, one of Cathy being challenged by Shadow, and Sophie feared she was in danger when it happened" he said, flying to her shoulder. "I thought it might just be random, but maybe it isn't with certain Titans. What did you see, Zhalia?"

"Ah... well... a few scenes with Dante, I think" she said, trying her best not to have her voice crack; Cherit certainly didn't need to see her flustered. "So you mean, what I saw, they'll come true?"

"In some form or another, maybe with a few differences here and there" he said thoughtfully, nodding. "But I'm quite sure."

Zhalia didn't answer that, just looked at the ring she held - to her, Critas felt strong, decisive, and extremely patient. She would do most anything if it helped serve her purpose, but there was also a nobility to her actions.

Cherit leaned forward from her shoulder during this thought, observing Critas' ring with much interest, briefly tapping a claw on the jewel. "In a way, she reminds me of you, Zhalia" he said sincerely. "Same as Timaeus with Sophie."

After a moment or two, she smiled a bit. "Thanks, Cherit" she answered - then she glanced back down the cliff, where the rest of the team was still waiting for her.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Well, I would certainly say Zhalia's deserved a Legendary Titan by now XD Nuff said on that subject lol**

 **Stay tuned.**


	21. Coming Together

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The Huntik team continues their search, and soon they arrive at the foot of a mountain - the lair of the Legendary Titan of Endurance, Critas. Zhalia is chosen for the bonding attempt, and the battle is harrowing, testing her physical resistance. Zhalia endures the assault well, and wins the approval of the Legendary Titan, but the visions she receives leaves her flustered and uncertain. Events continue elsewhere as well, the Huntik Foundation finding the catatonic Organization Suits, and a plot by the Blood Spirals involving The Betrayer and Kiel...**

* * *

 _"Coming Together"_

 _Episode 73_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"Wow, you were actually serious, Sophie."

She smirked a bit, crossing her arms over her jacket. "Well, I _definitely_ don't want a repeat in here, even if I'll get over it" she answered, only half playful, which Lok sorta chuckled at. Then she looked at Cathy, who was picking at the last bit of her fruit curiously, "And thanks Cathy, for being my lookout" she added.

Cathy slowly smiled. "No problem, Sophie."

"I'm still a little miffed at that" Den said, briefly gesturing toward her with his smores-styled stick (according to Eathon, it tasted spicier due to the higher energy state). "Don't you trust us?"

Sophie smirked again. "It's not a matter of trust, Den" she answered easily. "It's far more that I like my privacy, and didn't want to take chances."

Den just rolled his eyes a little. "But anyway, what's this all about anyway?" he asked, looking between them. "What 'repeat'?"

"Sorry, Den" Lok answered, sitting down beside them, slowly shrugging his shoulders. "That's a personal detail; I'm unlucky to know about it at all."

Sophie had to struggle to keep the red off her cheeks, but she still looked when Cathy discreetly leaned forward. "I know better than to ask, but whatever happened, was it truly by accident that he knew, Sophie?" Cathy asked under her breath.

"Completely" she answered, similarly low in volume. "And also-"

"Ah!"

"Den?"

Den thumped his chest, breathing out several times - with what looked a lot like smoke. "Wow, when you said spicy, you meant it, sir" he said, a little dazed, but still looking at Eathon with a little grin. "Trying it for as long as you did was too much heat for me, but a little less, and I could easily enjoy it."

"Glad I could help" the older man answered, before the corner of his mouth moved. "Perhaps I might not ever be a master chef, but you learn a few things about food when you're surviving."

Den opened his mouth to say something-

"Incoming!"

Cherit came down really fast, almost crashing into Den, and to a lesser extent Eathon before they regained their balance - luckily though, both just regarded the incident in good humor. "Glad to see you back so soon" Eathon told the Titan, who nodded eagerly. "What of Zhalia?"

"Oh she's coming down as we speak" Cherit said cheerfully, to all of them. "However, due to the effort she used in the test, she's climbing down the old-fashioned way."

Lok quickly stood up (she as well, slowly followed by the others). "You mean she's hurt?"

"What? Concerned about me?"

Surprised, they looked to their left, where Zhalia slowly emerged from the rocks - apparently she'd already gotten down, instead of taking awhile. When she glanced at Cherit, he just gave a double thumbs up and a grin, and she shook her head; ah, Cherit and his jokes. "Well of course we are, Zhalia" Sophie answered, watching as she got closer. "I mean really, you should have- wait, is that blood?"

Mostly unconcerned, Zhalia brushed a hand to her nose, where dried strains of blood remained. "Yeah, sure it is" she said normally. "I popped a vein up there, nothing more, nothing less."

Slightly irritated, she crossed her arms - though this was mitigated somewhat by Lok's arm on her shoulder.

Cathy was the first to walk up to her. "How exactly did this happen?" she asked, a little worried. "Were you hit?"

Zhalia shook her head. "No, more like I simply used too much energy too fast" she answered, one hand at her waist. "But I wouldn't worry too much Cathy; even when we use up our Seeker energy, injuries like this are rare. Usually we're just plain exhausted."

Cathy was relieved. "Really?"

"Really."

Cathy just smiled, even as Den stepped forward.

"So, how did you do?" he asked.

Zhalia raised an eyebrow. "How did I do?" she repeated, making a small 'Hmm'. "Well, let's see; I was tested on my endurance, mostly in the energy and mental departments, but some subdued pain was included. I and my Titans had to purposefully lose in a suicidal head-on charge, as was the point, and otherwise deal with a Legendary Titan who can't be harmed too well by such charges."

There was a small silence. She, Lok, and Den weren't really buying the whole 'this was about to go bad' angle she was trying to rile up - Cathy and Eathon initially might have, but after looking around their reactions, were just waiting.

Zhalia slowly opened her hand, where a bulky ring sat, not even glittering thanks to it's colors. "But it was worth it" she said more airily, with her usual manner, making most of them laugh and/or grin.

"Well worth it!" Cherit agreed.

And that was good, but really, what were they gonna do with her?

/

 _Huntik Beachhead_

Solwing shifted on his shoulders, claws tightening.

"Not so tight, you'll leave marks" Dante lightly admonished his friend; still, using their bond, he looked through Solwing's eyes - and saw that he was looking over the hundreds-strong group of Silent Soldiers.

Hmm, yes, them... still strangely quiet, and even more so now, grudgingly going along with everything. Plus now they were starting to be a pain in logistics, thanks to the need to guard, police, and otherwise watch them like hawks. Solwing gave him a small look at that last part, but if anything, he was amused. He just smiled, going over a latest report from Santiago and LeBlanche.

"At this point, some other guy might ignore the suspicions of impending doom, and send you off to stretch your wings" he mused. "Then the suspicions turn out to be true, and you come in for the rescue."

Solwing tapped his head with a wing, a 'subtle' clue his friend was telling him there was no way he'd be that stupid; possibly genre blind as well, but you never know. He just chuckled, turning around to move - Solwing just took off, perching himself on a tree branch above him, keeping a close eye on the Silent Soldiers.

For awhile, Dante just walked on, looking over the report... then he looked up, seeing and hearing a Nexual portal forming about five feet away from him. And through it stepped-

"Guggenheim" Dante said, with a little smile. "What a pleasant surprise."

The blond man just chuckled. "Well, I had to; this place alone warrants the trip" he said mildly, before he turned back to the portal, where he helped the second person coming out. "Here, let me help you, Sandra."

"Oh, thank you."

"Well, well, well, things just got interesting" Dante said, crossing his arms.

Sandra overheard him, but didn't really mind, coming toward him. "Good to see you again, Dante" she said, stepping over a batch of Spirit World foliage. "I wish I had time to gawk, but, I'm sure you know why I'm here."

He nodded, already pulling out his Holotome. "Yes, ma'am" he said mildly. "I'd have to be stupid not to."

Guggenheim just silently chuckled behind Sandra, no doubt at how many IQ points he'd have to lose to get that stupid - Sandra's expression was slightly amused, but far more full of anticipation.

/

 _A little before_

"Really, congrats Zhalia" Lok said sincerely.

"Thanks, Lok."

"She deserves it" Cherit said from his shoulder. "Especially by now."

Zhalia just breathed out. "Okay, don't start getting sappy on me" she said mildly, many of them laughing a bit. "Seriously."

Yup, just business as usual with her.

Beside her, Den shifted, "Zhalia, are you sure you wouldn't want to rest first?" he asked - Zhalia gave him a small eyebrow raise in response, so he raised his hands briefly. "Just asking" he said, before looking at them all. "So, anyway guys, shall we move on to this whole 'third Legendary Titan' part of the plan?"

"We sure can, Den" Lok answered, before looking over. "Dad?"

"Well, the third Legendary Titan is quite some distance away" dad answered, hand near his chin. "More so than the distance the last few times."

Beside him, Sophie put her hands on her hips. "If you don't mind me saying sir, no matter how far it is, we must get that last Legendary Titan."

"Y-Yeah, I mean, the sooner the better" Cathy added.

Even as she said that, Lok worried; he knew that when his sister said 'sooner, the better', she referred to getting these battles over and done with so she could 'properly' recover. He thought dad might have caught this, but it was harder to tell.

"Well, we could speed things up" dad answered. "Timaeus is capable of inter-dimensional travel after all; that involves manipulating spacetime."

"Wait, you mean that great a distance, dad?" Lok asked, surprised.

"It would take a lot of energy, but yes" his dad continued, with a little smile for a moment. "And I also believe that he might be able to traverse the dimensional boundary between Earth and Huntik - but I worry about the energy costs of _that_."

"Okay, wait a minute" Sophie interjected, stepping forward. "If Timaeus is able to do that sir, why didn't we do so earlier, after I got him?"

Dad got a little sheepish expression. "I was going to, but then Shauna attacked us" he started, "-and well, then it kinda slipped."

A little put off, Sophie soon looked at Lok. "Now I see where you got your personality, Lok" she said, half-playful - he just slowly did a 'hey, what can I do?' shrug, sheepish.

"Guys, guys, that doesn't matter right now" Den said, but clearly trying (and failing) to hide how amused he was. "If Timaeus can transport all of us, why not do it now?"

"I agree, and it sounds like a fascinating experience" Cherit said sincerely. "What do you think, Zhalia?"

When no answer came, they slowly looked around - Zhalia was inexplicably a distance away, with the reason why turning out to be her Holotome, which was open and working.

"Is she talking with Dante?" Lok whispered to Sophie, low enough that no one else could hear, but still nonplussed.

"I don't know" she breathed back, just as quiet. "But it also doesn't seem like she started the call."

Hmm...

Then, surprisingly, Zhalia looked right at them all. "Lok, Cathy, Eathon?" she called. "You're gonna wanna come over here."

Really surprised, he looked at Sophie (who had little idea), then at Cathy and dad (just as surprised as he was), before he slowly started walking. It wasn't long before Cathy was beside him, while dad followed - in addition, dad called over his shoulder: ""Okay... well, while we're waiting, you should call on Timaeus, Sophie."

"Uh, right sir... _Let's play, Legendary Titan of Intelligence, Timaeus!_ "

"Whatever this is, it seems like really bad timing, Den."

"You could say that again, Cherit."

The three of them were soon beside Zhalia, and Cathy was first to speak up: "What is it?"

Zhalia glanced between all of them. "You'll soon find out" she said in a lighter voice, then to further surprise, she handed her Holotome directly to his dad and walked off.

Further confused, Lok watched Zhalia go before he looked back at Zhalia's Holotome, where-

 _"It's been a long time, Eathon"_ Dante's image spoke. _"Even if we briefly talked about teaching us Curselock."_

At that, Eathon's lip curled a bit. "Indeed it has, Dante" he said sincerely. "You're grown up, but you haven't aged a day."

Dante chuckled, _"I wish we could catch up, truly"_ he said. _"But another has already called dibs for this call."_

And with that, his image disappeared, but the 'call' remained active, all of them reacting subtly... then-

"Mom! - S-Sandra!? - Eathon!"

"Mom! You're at the beachhead?" Lok asked without thinking, directly after the surprised reaction - he found himself doing a little mini-take over that.

Mom made a sound, not even bothering to answer that. _"Oh, it's been so long"_ she breathed, clearly wiping at her eyes, _"Are you okay, Eathon?"_

"I'm fine, Sandra, I'm fine" dad breathed quickly, looking a little teary himself. "Oh, how I've missed you, my dear-"

 _"I know, I know-"_

"W-We'll be okay, mom" Cathy breathed, a little weak, but that was the feels. "I'll... I'll keep dad and stinker out of harm's way."

"And I'll help" Lok said quickly, before giving her a little look. "Though I take issue with-"

Dad and mom's small laughter interrupted him. _"Oh, Cathy, that's so brave of you to say"_ mom breathed, with a small little smile. _"But I can see how hard this is for you-"_

"But I-I'm fine, really" his sister quickly assured, even though it was partly for herself. "I'm still getting by."

 _"Just like what I'd say"_ Lok thought, despite all of them knowing it was more complicated than simply being 'fine'.

"-I mean, yeah, it's not easy, b-but I have help."

"Indeed, Cathy has all of us to help out" dad said sincerely, pulling Cathy close to him. "And she has your strength, Sandra."

Mom made a little sound. _"Glad you finally noticed"_ she breathed, _"but really-"_

The image flickered wildly, her image disappeared (but the call didn't end), the muted sounds of explosions getting through.

"Mom? Mom!" Lok called, desperate. "Are you okay!?"

"Sandra!"

"Mom!?"

The image flickered wildly again, then they saw Dante, who looked to have been grazed across the cheek. _"Sandra's fine, but we're having trouble"_ he said quickly, slightly grim. _"We'll handle it, and call you back; you have my word on that Eathon."_

Then the call ended for real, Cathy making a little motion as if to try and do something.

"Damn it!" Lok cursed; why did these moments always get interrupted!? Then a hand placed itself on his shoulder (tightly), and he saw his dad struggling - dad knew that she could handle herself, just as Dante would, but he still could barely keep the worry at bay. Slowly, Lok looked down, sighing as the same time as Cathy pressed herself against dad (and he returned the gesture).

...

Zhalia could tell things were going well, until the sudden instant increase in tension. _"Oh great"_ she thought, suspicious about the Silent Soldier prisoners, as one possibility of things that happened.

"You know, I think I've changed my mind a little."

Glanced to the side a little, Zhalia saw Sophie and Den standing near Timaeus, currently oblivious to the recent developments going on. Not that she could claim what those developments were herself, yet still.

"How's that, Den?" Sophie asked gently.

He crossed his arms, but his expression was thoughtful. "Well, as you remember, my first thought was 'a dolphin?'" he said mildly. "My image of them was always these friendly, playful little guys - not exactly the idea of fighters."

Timaeus chittered at this a little, showing it's teeth in the process, it's eyes anything but playful (even when friendly).

"And now?" Cherit asked, sharing a glance with Timaeus, almost smug for some reason.

"And now" Den mused. "Well, clearly that's not how this one operates."

Sophie chuckled. "Well you're still half-right; dolphins are _usually_ just playful creatures" she said, touching Timaeus's skin carefully. "But they use their own bodies in concentrated attacks to kill sharks, and occasionally harm their own."

"They really do that?" Cherit asked, worried.

"Not that this isn't fascinating, guys" Zhalia interjected, turning all their attentions on her. "But it looks like the call just ended."

She saw how they walked toward her: Eathon in particular was carefully guarding his emotions, trying to separate what he instinctively felt from what he knew could likely happen, and such. Lok and Cathy were less successful in doing so (or even wanting to), but there was an unspoken agreement to move forward, and not to unnecessarily worry, at least to some degree. Or maybe it looked unspoken to her, but the family had talked it over, as far as they could do under such a harrowing situation.

"It's done" Lok breathed, rather distractedly handing back her Holotome, which Zhalia took carefully.

"Lok-" Sophie started, already starting to walk forward. "What happened?"

"An attack, I think... I don't know for certain" he said, throwing up his hands, hanging onto his own words. "But the important thing is, they're all okay and they're gonna stay that way; Dante promised so."

"I certainly hope it works out that way, not that I doubt Dante's abilities" Eathon breathed, a little disquieted - but he soon found his daughter trying to comfort him, at least a little (and he appreciated it). Zhalia could see instantly though that Cathy was using that to try and not focus on her own worry, the sadness, the multiple reasons behind all that.

"Don't worry, Dante is one of the best there is" Cherit assured.

Den nodded as well, "Yeah, of course he is; they'll be fine."

For a moment, they all looked at one another, doing their best to take comfort/share the worry in all this - then when the moment ended, Sophie slowly put a hand on her hip.

"So, we're all ready?" she asked faintly of Eathon, who nodded. "Very well, sir... concentrate on the mental image of where the third Legendary Titan is. Timaeus will scan the place from your mind, and take care of the rest, or so he says. Everyone, stay close."

"Do we have to hold hands?" Zhalia asked faintly, mildly.

Apparently, Sophie saw that coming, as she wasn't even annoyed. " _No_ , Zhalia."

Hmm... well, it still worked in lifting spirits, even for a little.

* * *

 _Huntik Beachhead_

 _"Newfury! - Nullcurse!"_

 _"Raypulse"_ Dante called, the three spells colliding and almost blinding them all. _"Nimblefire!"_

Because the soldiers were still recovering from the bright light, they couldn't stop Dante from blindsiding them - another soldier tried to attack him from behind, but Solwing clipped his legs, sending him skidding. Behind him, Guggenheim and Sandra also did their best ( _"Raypulse! - Augerfrost!"_ ), but it was a near-literal horde of them in one place, and they could only defend so well.

Just then, three turned toward him.

 _"Honorguard!"_ he put up, just as they threw their spells.

The shield held for a good while, but they seemed determined to gang up on him... then, just as luck would have it, it went down as two others cast Nullcurse at him. He was pushed back by the first one, then sent spinning by the second, and he grunted trying to figure out his bearings. He barely managed to see one coming at him with Shadowspeed-

He was thrown aside by the newest arrival.

"Well, glad you could join the party" Dante said, a little mild, even as Caliban slowly prepared himself. And for a moment, Caliban and Solwing shared a glance - it wasn't much, but it had every indication of two old friends seeing each other again.

The one thrown aside by Caliban struggled to his feet, only to see Dante standing right by.

He smiled a bit. "Say hello to your friends for me" Dante told him, right before throwing Dragonfist at him. The Silent Soldier fell to the ground again, unconscious, right before his Spiral Mark glowed and he was slowly taken away... Dante tried to grab him, but was too late. At the same time this happened, Solwing threw a mini-hurricane at another batch of Soldiers, while Caliban protected Guggenheim and Sandra from a sustained gang-up. For a moment, he saw Viviane and Lucas among the chaos, but soon lost them again.

He hoped they weren't losing too badly, as he had his hands full with protecting Guggenheim and Sandra, for different reasons.

Solwing's vision briefly came over his; he saw the entire battlefield as it was, with surprisingly sharp vision everywhere. This included all their allies, the soldiers still fighting - including a cluster very near where Guggenheim and Sandra were, coming toward them fast, pursued by Santiago and LeBlanche. Dante lifted his hands, and in seconds, Solwing lifted him off the ground. _"Stoneglove"_ he breathed, clutching the fist in question; hoped this would protect his hand well enough.

Solwing flew in low, about eight feet above the ground + their upcoming targets, then he let go.

 _"Dragonfist!"_

Slamming his hand into the ground, the shock-wave knocked all five Soldiers off their feet, and then some - debris flew everywhere, including dust and sections of vines. However, even as they tried to recover, ropes magically whirled around them and hauled them away; Santiago and LeBlanche's work. And they weren't done; _"Curselock!"_

Three of them got away by (willingly) activating their marks, but the two that Santiago and LeBlanche held onto couldn't get away, to their immense displeasure.

"Stick around" Dante told the two soldiers, before nodding at the other men and running off; some would get away, but they still had to act fast. "Now, _clear the way, Metagolem, Ignatius!"_

...

 _"Sunlock!"_

The soldier struggled, but soon his mark activated, taking him away completely.

"Damn it!" Lucas cursed, standing up beside Seraphim. "Stand and fight!" he called, thinking Sunlock was supposed to disable spells for a short time.

 _"Bubbleshot!"_ Viviane cast beside him, before Mythras shielded her from more soldiers. "They keep getting away!"

"Well, we should've learned Curselock by now" he breathed, disgruntled, even as he had Seraphim attack another group to his left. "It's only been days, but still. Though perhaps if the Huntik Foundation had-"

"Had us all guard them, for days on end?" she demanded, holding her shield to defend from spells ( _"Nullcurse! - Newfury!"_ ). "What's practical about that?"

"Preventing things like this from happening?" he countered. "Putting us all in danger?"

"Danger is part of it all" she breathed, Mythras roaring and sending a blue beam over long-range opponents, even as Seraphim fought several soldiers. "I don't like it, but I've accepted it, seemingly unlike you, Lucas."

 _"Kindlestrike!"_ he blasted at another soldier, before this registered: "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

 _"Armorforge!"_

Grr, the battle was separating them; if she didn't hear him now, she wouldn't until it was over.

Still, that meant they'd have words later, if her interpreted her tone right... of course, it could just be her teenage feelings beginning to overflow (puberty), but he wasn't certain that was all.

...

"This all of them?" Dante asked, trying to put pressure on the scalp wound; very shallow, but bled a lot, as they tended to... which was a problem since it got into his left eye.

"All within twenty feet, at least" LeBlanche said, though he looked to be out-of-breath; understandable - at the same time, Santiago was finalizing the restraints for the soldiers they had gotten. "The battle is still ongoing though."

"Indeed, but they're not going anywhere" Dante observed, Solwing and Caliban briefly standing guard for their small perimeter (the former from a nearby tree). At the same time, he could see Ignatius and Metagolem in his vision, the former blasting a barrier while Metagolem picked up a Titan and slammed him into the ground. "You two, go assist the others, and bring any others you can manage here under guard."

Solwing and Caliban acknowledged this, running off even as Dante turned to Guggenheim (who had two slashes in his clothing) and Sandra (who was unharmed but also out-of-breath). "Sorry you both had to come at such a bad time" he said sincerely.

Guggenheim gave him a little smile. "Usually it's moments like this I live for."

"And I would have braved far worse if it meant seeing my husband again" Sandra told him, her conviction coming through, even without her intending it.

"I don't doubt it, either of you" Dante answered, before looking at Guggenheim quickly. "But after this attack, I think things are gonna change real quickly; we can't all just sit here any longer. Guggenheim, would you like to take temporary charge of the beachhead, being our link between the two dimensions? I realize it's not part of your orders-"

"Are you kidding me?" Guggenheim asked, laughing briefly. "I wouldn't miss it! And my orders say in emergency situations, my previous orders can be discarded."

"Very good" he approved. "Now, here's what I want done-"

Before he could state it though, the still-around-for-now Nexual portal discharged another person; an aide by the looks of her. "Sir, important update from the Huntik Council" she said to Guggenheim, giving him a padd, and seemingly oblivious to the fact that a battle was still ongoing. Actually, perhaps that was just as well; didn't want to scare her too badly (the courage to plunge headlong into a strange new dimension was enough already).

"Thank you, Lily" Guggenheim told her, before going over it- but only seconds had gone before his expressions went from surprise + shock, then tightened. "Dante?"

"Hmm?"

Guggenheim turned the padd over, and they all saw it; what looked to be a usual NASA-esqe space photo of Saturn from a distance, it's rings only slightly visible at this near dead-on angle. However, very near it was something glaring red... asteroid-sized at that.

"Not good. Not good at all." Dante finally said.

The Red Comet was in their solar system again...

Even more reason that once they subdued the soldiers, they had to move _now_.

* * *

Wow, even through his eyelids, those lights looked a lot like the Nexual spell... he could have done without the insane high speed though.

Den stumbled a bit, but before his stomach settled (or tried to), he heard the roar of a waterfall. He was surprised for a moment, and had flashbacks to that moment back in Australia, though he tried not to think about... well, you know. Still, it didn't sound like water to him, because there was a repetition of heavy glops. _"Well, that's just about par for the course at this point"_ he thought, shrugging a bit mentally.

So of course, when he opened his eyes, he was further surprised.

His waterfall thought was right on the mark; they were standing right next to it. The current moved for ten feet ahead of them, before falling down about twenty feet below - but that clearly wasn't water in it, because the stuff was thick and bright lime-green. Due to the edge being feet away, Den didn't see everything below just yet, but there was a big lake down below, filled with the same-colored liquid. Surrounding it was a lush forest, with small rivers occasionally weaving throughout the trees... just much less overgrown than the last one they went through.

Then he jolted himself back to the team, not the scenery.

"Wow, that's pretty... weird" Cathy breathed, looking at the river beside them, with a tone that said 'awesome' a little.

"I'll say" Sophie agreed, stepping beside her. "Though, the color is stretching my suspension of disbelief - you don't normally see this kind of thing except in video games."

"Hey, come on, Sophie" he said mildly. "As it's been said already, this is a whole new dimension."

"True, but that only justifies it so far, Den" she answered without looking, bending down for a closer look. "I like for things to have reasons, is all."

Beside her, Cathy looked like she could understand that, but also was a little sheepish on his behalf that she couldn't let a few things go. Den chuckled, sharing a glance with Cherit, who gave him a flying shrug with a smile. Anyway, at the same time, Lok was talking with his dad over Timaeus (who was thoroughly exhausted), while Zhalia overlooked the edge more closely than he had. He saw this in peripheral vision, at least until she fixated on something in particular, so he walked over quickly. "Something wrong?"

"More like things got interesting" Zhalia said, with a similar tone, still looking down at-

Woah.

"Ahhh!"

Down by the lake, on the stretch that he hadn't seen earlier, was this large horse Titan drinking from the 'water'. At this distance, Den couldn't judge relative size or too many details, but this one certainly seemed to be bigger than them - and light kept gleaming off it's body, suggesting armor or something.

"That's gotta be the third Legendary Titan" Den said, a little interested.

"You said it, Den!"

Everyone else was quick to join in, with similar reactions of 'cool!' and 'woah', more-or-less.

"Yes everyone, we've found him" Eathon said, just observing their reactions, but with understanding. "Now of course, for the update-" he continued, pulling out his Holotome, everyone tuning in to this.

 _"Hermos"_ it spoke, still slowed-down, but showcasing the image of the large horse (who _did_ look armored). _"Attack: 5; Defense: 4; Type: Legendary Warrior; Size: Large; Special Abilities: Shockwave Stomp, Energy Inversion."_

"Okay, I get the first one, but, 'inversion'?" Lok asked, a little confused.

"Well bro, it means lower A = better B, essentially" Cathy answered, giggling a little at his expense - and also, after the initial surprise, Sophie's reaction was approving (plus amused), while Lok was trying to decide between sheepish and insulted.

"That sounds great" Den said, glancing at the Legendary Titan readout. "But what exactly does it invert with energy, sir?"

"Hermos is the Legendary Titan of Resolve, Den" Eathon explained, but not just to him. "In addition to it's own power, it reacts based on the energy of it's Seeker - the lower they are, the longer this one can last against enemies. There are limits of course, and Hermos doesn't actually get physically stronger or defensive, but still."

"A useful ability, for any Seeker" Cherit said cheerfully. "In fact, I want one!"

"That's cute, Cherit, but don't forget why we're here" Sophie told him, but kindly (he nodded), before looking around them all. "Now, to decide who gets this one."

Lok smiled. "Well, dad's survived for ten years, to make sure he found us again" he said sincerely.

Eathon slowly chuckled, holding Lok and Cathy closer. "Indeed I have" he breathed, looking between them. "And it's nice of you to offer, but I think I'll make do."

"You sure, dad?"

"Positive. I may not be out of the game, but I'm certainly not getting any younger - you kids can use him better than I could."

Zhalia slowly crossed her arms. "Well, if that's the case, perhaps Lok might try this one out" she said mildly. "He is 'the hero' in this group after all."

"Hey!"

They all laughed a little, including Sophie, who continued to answer; "Perhaps so, but resolve is related to willpower" she breathed, glancing up. "This is the ability to control yourself, to face something difficult, and stick to that course of action no matter what."

Cathy made a sound, but then she gasped. "Wait, facing something difficult" she breathed in a struck tone, slowly looking at him.

Den didn't get why, but then he slowly noticed everyone else starting to look at him - still confused, he looked at Zhalia.

Her little smile seemed to have a touch of proud in it. "The orphanage, and your brother" she said simply, arms still crossed. "That was difficult for you, but you kept protecting him for years. That included getting him back."

He blinked once, then even as memories surfaced, the impact of those words and 'something difficult' sunk in:

"Whoa whoa, _me_ guys!?"

"Come on, Den-"

"No seriously, Lok! Guys! _Me!?_ "

"Den" Sophie stated firmly, knocking him out of his shock, where she looked at him for awhile. Then she smiled, arms crossed, "You're no longer a beginner" she told him gently.

Den blinked once, twice, taking in her meaning from that day in Ireland - then he slowly looked around them all; _none_ of them had any doubts.

"I-" he breathed, feeling overwhelmed.

Cherit settled on his shoulder, smiling gently. "You won't be alone, Den" he sincerely assured. "I was with Sophie and Zhalia during their challenges, even if I couldn't help at times - it's only right I go with you."

"Yeah, but I still- I mean, I just-...

"Is this gonna take much longer?" Zhalia asked him, almost amused, but still serious.

He opened his mouth, worked it a bit, and then slowly closed it. "I... guess I'm done" he said slowly, still feeling like this might be a dream.

"You'll do great, Den" Lok told him, smiling.

He slowly looked over. "I- maybe, but... I thought for sure you'd want him more, Lok."

Lok slowly rubbed his head. "Well, I _could_ try with Hermos, but I'm not picky about this" he admitted. "If you want him, Den, I can pass over this one - it's not really an issue."

Den struggled... I mean, if he was fantasizing, then sure he'd be all for getting a Legendary Titan... but this was reality + right now, and he could barely answer. He slowly looked toward the cliff that overlooked the lair of Hermos - thirty feet down, fair walking distance after that, and impossible to climb back up by hand.

Not a problem really...

...

 _A little later_

"Are you okay, Den? You've been rather quiet."

Den just continued numbly walking for a little, almost there, then stopped with a sigh. "Guess it just hasn't sunk in yet" he breathed, resting against a tree, not caring about the sharp-ish sensations right now.

Cherit flew to just in front of him. "Do you not want to?" he questioned, confused. "Or do you not think you're good enough?"

"No, no, no, that's not it!"

Cherit just continued to hover, while he slowly drew back.

"Sorry, Cherit" Den breathed, a little quiet. "And... maybe a little, on that last one. I mean, I know I'm a decent Seeker now, and I'm still learning and getting better and all that. I know my friends trust me, like me, and rely on me. But this? This is crazy!"

"Why?" Cherit asked sincerely.

"Because, that's a _Legendary Titan_ sitting out there" Den said, pointing toward the break of trees they had yet to go over, near the lake. "To try and bond with them is the ultimate test of a Seeker, and I don't want to fail!"

Cherit was silent for a little, which he slowly found odd, before the Titan smiled. "Just like you didn't want to fail to protect your brother, before and after he joined the Blood Spirals" he said in a knowing tone.

"Huh?" Den breathed, confused.

"I think you hate failure, Den, just as much as you hate bullies" Cherit merely said. "I understand; when the first attempt to create a Nexual portal failed, I felt almost as angry as Lok did about being denied seeing his father."

He slowly blinked, unable to believe it. " _You_ , Cherit?" he breathed. "Angry?"

The Titan was sheepish. "Briefly, very briefly, before I came to my senses" she said mildly. "It was most distasteful."

It took him a few moments, but Den slowly breathed out. "So, are you saying I'm... afraid?" he asked slowly.

"Well, afraid is a strong word, but you are hesitant" Cherit said, flying to his shoulder, entirely assuring. "You don't want to fail, or let the others down, which is perfectly understandable. This is what makes you unsure about yourself in places, as far as I can tell."

Hesitant-

Then it hit him; his hesitation at being a leader.

 _"Could it be?"_ he wondered to himself.

"-but as I'm sure the others would agree, you have what it takes, Den. You can get over this block."

It took him a full minute, partly for his thoughts, but Den did look back at Cherit. "Well, I was certainly going to try anyway, after the shock wore off" he said faintly. "But this hesitation thing was driving me _crazy_ because I didn't know the source, and I didn't want to let the others down..."

He trailed off, but Cherit was patient.

"I'll- I'll still try not to" Den said slowly, raising his hands; he _was_ hesitant to let the others down, and he accepted that. What he was _not_ gonna do though, was let this thing control him, even if it took time; then he'd truly be letting them down, at least indirectly. "But now I'm doing this because I _want_ to" he continued, determined; they thought he was good enough to test against a Legendary Titan.

Well, time to prove it, to himself and them - he clenched his fists.

"That's the spirit!" Cherit cheered.

He breathed out slowly, patting his friend. "Thank you, Cherit, seriously" he whispered, getting a smile, before he slowly breathed in, then out... then started walking forward again, much less numbly than before.

...

"I really hope he's okay" Cathy said, worried. "He looked pretty unsure of himself."

Sophie put a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine, Cathy" she assured. "He's got Cherit with him for advice, and frankly, he's needed a little confidence boost for awhile. Bonding with Hermos should give him that boost."

"I certainly want him to" she admitted. "B-but what if somehow, he fails?"

It took Sophie awhile to answer. "I shudder to think about it" she said slowly, troubled. "I _really_ hope it doesn't come to that; the loss in confidence would be near intractable to recover."

Cathy agreed, slowly turning around on the spot, still worried - even as she did so, she saw her bro digging into their supplies for a drink, even as her dad approached Zhalia.

"Mind if my Titans go a round with Critas?" he asked.

Zhalia raised an eyebrow, interested already. "Is this some sort of 'bonding before the big battle' type of exercise?" she asked mildly.

"Yes" he admitted, chuckling slightly. "But more than that, it would do you good getting in some practice with Critas, as I understand Sophie has already done with Timaeus, and it would help get me back to the top of my game. Plus it'll be fun."

Cathy slowly breathed out, a little sheepish - dad always used to say her 'everything meaningful should also be fun'. He usually applied that to puzzles, but it did apply to a few other things too... plus she saw Lok catch this, and have a smile that said he was thinking much the same thing.

"Well, why not."

"This outta be good" Sophie said, stepping up beside her, sounding excited. And Cathy had to admit, she was a little herself; dad had to be good, not only to have survived here for ten years, but to be a great Seeker as she's heard.

A slight pause, to make sure they were far enough away and had enough room, and other 'in order' things...

 _"Break the enemy lines!"_ Zhalia called. _"Legendary Titan of Endurance, Critas!"_

 _"Radiate, Arkenstone!"_ dad called, using an amulet + ring. _"Overwhelm, Legendary Titan - Leviathan!"_

Of course, this being the Spirit World, they didn't come right away... honestly, Cathy still found that a little off, her first experiences being with the instantaneous version. And by the looks of it, everyone else but dad were out of instinct as well. Still, she looked up the sky, seeing nothing... wait, scratch that-

Critas landed first, with a literal thump they could all feel, and her first instinct was to take a step back; she knew elephants were big, but this one was as big a house! Critas slowly regarded the situation, and all of them, before glancing back at Zhalia (or as much as possible) - she said nothing, but the Titan slowly waited. That mental bond of theirs, no doubt - now just to wait again.

Luckily it wasn't too long-

The first light touched down, and formed into- wow.

"What is _that_?" Sophie wondered beside her, more interested than anything.

The Titan itself looked to be made entirely out of crystal, and thus caught and reflected the light around it, but low-key. It's shape was largely that of a round core, except, due to the crystal, it had many spires and facets that gave the Titan a spiky appearance. It floated there in mid-air, having no apparent eyes, ears, or anything else like that... though there was a subtle hum in the air.

"I don't know" Lok breathed, suddenly on Sophie's other side (must have moved while she was distracted). "But... let me..."

 _"Arkenstone"_ his Holotome read. _"Attack: 1; Defense; 1; Type: Unknown Scout; Size: Medium; Special Abilities: Levitation, Continuous Energy Pulse."_

"Unknown?" Cathy breathed, surprised, at near the same time as all of them; that was new.

Her dad slowly chuckled. "Allow me to explain" he said, even as the crystal Titan slowly floated beside him. "It's not an official designation, not until the Foundation says so anyway, but I call his species Azoic."

"Azoic?" Lok breathed, sounding slightly lost, looking at Sophie-

-who was amused to give him the answer. "Azoic essentially refers to having no organic life at all, or could mean conditions before life ever existed on Earth" she said mildly, glancing back at Arkenstone. "I find it an excellent name."

Cathy thought so too - it was kinda cool.

Dad just smiled a bit. "I think it works well too" he said, before looking at Arkenstone. "As for why you've never seen one before, as far as I can tell, this inorganic branch of Titans and their amulets never jumped to Earth from his dimension, much like Timaeus, Critas, and Hermos. Thus, you never knew they existed until now."

"I can't help but wonder if there are more branches we don't know about, because they never migrated to Earth" Sophie continued, even more excited.

"Well I hope so" her bro said, just as excited as her - at the same time, Lok kept his Holotome open, probably to continue the research no doubt.

"Yeah, me too" Cathy breathed, though mostly to herself; their excitement was of course bigger than hers, because they'd know about all this a lot longer than she (and didn't have her internal worry). Still, this was all so cool, even if at times overwhelming.

"Anyway Lok, better remember to advise the research branch about this when we get back, so they can actually update our Holo-"

Sophie trailed off as the shadows shifted across them; another point of light was rapidly approaching. Must be the other one her dad summoned, what was it's name again?

It landed with another great thump, then it seemed to uncurl itself, a low hissing audible.

 _"A sea serpent!?"_

True to her thought, the Titan uncurling itself was snake-like, dark-green scales covering almost every inch of him. His body seemed to be roughly five feet thick, but his length allowed him to rise to Critas' eye level, and over that if he so chose. However, he didn't seem to purely be one breed of snake, but rather combined aspects of several Earth species - his head was cobra-like, with viper teeth (but no tongue, strangely), and it's previous curled position seemed to suggest anaconda... though admittedly that was a brief glimpse. However, when he hissed, she saw golden teeth, and now that she looked closer, golden lining between his scales.

Wait, was he Powerbonded!?

"Easy, easy" her dad said to the Titan, Leviathan - who gave him a low hiss, displeased, but not tense. "Seems we picked a bad time."

"Will we wait?" Zhalia asked.

Dad raised an eyebrow, but mostly that seemed to be part of his mental talk with Leviathan. During this time, Lok and Sophie also observed the Holotome again, under their breath but also listening in general. Cathy was just in time to notice: _"Powerbonded Leviathan"_ it spoke: _"Attack: 5; Defense: 4; Type: Legendary Aquatic; Size: Large; Special Abilities: Ice Breath, Spike Scales."_

"Nah" her dad breathed. "He'll make do, Zhalia, but he's still not pleased. He'll hit harder than usual, so watch out - and his energy will amplified slightly by Arkenstone, here on the sidelines, to make it fair."

"Shouldn't be a problem" Zhalia said lightly.

From her spot on the sidelines, Cathy thought how amazing this all was - a fight between two Legendary Titans (oh yeah, way to go dad!) was nothing to scoff at, and the fact that one was gonna hit harder wasn't a cause for concern. Maybe they're all just used to stuff like this, because all the danger just made everything else look small by comparison. And yet, they still had worries; Den was still down there, facing the third Legendary Titan, and not sure about something. Plus while they dealt with danger, they still worried about it happening, especially the bigger stuff.

 _"This world, this Titans... they're amazing"_ she thought faintly. _"But, all this danger..."_

She could handle it, enough, but was she fit to handle it on a regular basis?

* * *

"What _exactly_ is this mark, Shauna?"

"Why the sudden interest?" she asked, bored. "You only branded it on yourself thanks to knowledge from The Betrayer, out of practicality, and to exploit the knowledge of Eathon Lambert before he developed a counter."

The Professor grunted, returning his gaze to the mark. "True enough, but by all accounts, the magic in this mark is not of this world" he said carefully. "And more than that, the counter in question has only a limited effectiveness; there is no way to permanently lock the curse, or extend it as far as I'm aware-"

"We work to keep it that way."

"-but still, I think I'm entitled to a little explanation!"

She scoffed; the childish need of this man to be in control - to know everything - was astoundingly obsessive; how in the world had this man managed to control anything? "I thought that would be obvious by now" she told him scathingly. "We work to bring the Nullifiers; is that not enough?"

His eyes narrowed, but not entirely with suspicion she noted; there seemed to be a little pleased in there too.

 _"I will have to be on guard for that; he will make his big move soon, when everything is ready to proceed, if not during."_

"A definitive answer is better than an educated guess any day" he said, grinning.

She merely glared at him before turning her back, walking away - there was no doubt in her mind it would be soon. Knowing The Betrayer had plans for it, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to ask how she could help with those plans, if possible. But in the meantime, Murdock and Wind overlooked the gathered Silent Soldiers who had previously been prisoners.

"The report?" she asked bluntly.

Wind said nothing, of course, and only observed the soldiers more, so it fell to Murdock: "About two-eights of our soldiers were Curselocked before they could return" he said, disgruntled. "The rest caused chaos, injuries, and everything else as you've ordered before returning, consciously or otherwise. But the Huntik beachhead will recover, Shauna."

"As is also the plan" she told him silkily.

"And what plan says riling them up to come after us?" he questioned. "You yourself said never to give heroes an inch to work, yet you seem to be doing the exact opposite at every turn. What am I not seeing?"

Shauna smirked dangerously. "You do not need to know" she said 'sweetly', "Knowing would only endanger our plans, but your silence will assure that it works out. Is that good enough for you?"

Under the surface, it also asked _'Or do I need to kill you where you stand?'_

Murdock grunted, stepping back, physically and mentally - lucky for him.

In the meantime, Wind glanced at her, and she returned it with her eyes only.

They were the only ones besides The Betrayer who knew the majority of the full plan, if not all the details... yet. How they handled themselves during this last step, the 'final battle', would be crucial.

 _"Soon it will be time."_

The words - The Betrayer's words - had an immediate effect on the Silent Soldiers, who got down on their knees, showing their obedience. She, Wind, and Murdock also showed their obedience - but to her disdain (expressed as a growl), The Professor did not show it, even if he did not scoff at his presence. Just ahead of them all, The Betrayer stepped forward into full view-

-to the understandable-yet-infuriating confusion of the soldiers.

 _"Do not despair"_ The Betrayer spoke with Kiel's mouth, which did not move from it's set grin, the eyes a fierce ethereal red. _"I have strength enough now to take over another's form, as I did with the one named Kiel. My previous body is not combat-ready again, so it will rest while I 'borrow' Kiel's."_

"No matter what form you may take, Betrayer, we still obey your commands" she told him, with slight pointed tone directed at the soldiers.

 _"Indeed. And now that the Huntik Foundation and their allies have been properly motivated, they will soon search us out, to try and put an end to our apparent plans. We must all be ready."_

Yes, indeed they must.

"You have heard The Betrayer" she told the soldiers, standing up. "Make all necessary preparations!"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Yeeeah, that happened lol**

 **Also, yes, that's what 'Azoic' means ;) I imagined that for some reason, not all Titans would've come to Earth with Lord Casterwill, all amulets of certain branches were destroyed in the war, or new breeds developed after that same war... a number of things could've happened in the timespan, so there's more that could be explored only in Huntik itself. Going with the other named branches, I had to find something that fit with crystal while also not being too obvious or restricting - fairly sure it all works XD**

 **As for the serpent, those who've read the Huntik comics might recognize Leviathan - I haven't read them, and aren't sure how canon they are with the series itself other than taking place in it. Even still, I liked the design of him, and created another form (mostly) based off him.**

 **Thirdly, Den? I'm sure you've all noticed the hesitation of not wanting to fail/let the others down has been throughout all the story, without overwhelming him or even being behind his every action. I based it as an extension of Den's previous experiences with Harrison + the orphanage; in some form, he didn't want to fail getting his brother back, or fail to protect him before that; so perhaps it would be a lingering issue of his personality. But the same time, he's kept resolve by facing the difficulty, rarely with hesitation, for years - imo, making him best to try with the third/last Legendary Titan, aside from Eathon (who declined lol).**

 **Stay tuned.**


	22. Road to War

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Zhalia succeeds in obtaining Critas, the Legendary Titan of Endurance, and the Huntik team aims to get to the third Legendary Titan as soon as possible. However, all is not well, as the Blood Spiral prisoners cause mayhem at the Huntik Beachhead. Dante and the others manage to subdue the ones that remain, but the damage has been done. Meanwhile, the Huntik team wonders at Hermos, the Legendary Titan of Resolve - Den is chosen over Lok to be the one tested, much to the former's surprise. T** **he Blood Spiral elite continue to move their plans along, particularly The Betrayer, who has possessed Kiel's body.**

* * *

 _"Road To War"_

 _Episode 74_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"What exactly did you mean back there, about me not accepting danger? I face threats head-on."

*scoff* "In battle you mean, but the possibility of threats? Your answer was always to run and hide, as you tried to get Sophie to do, or keep them locked up."

" _What_ was that?"

Trouble in paradise it looks like, but Dante kept walking, trying to tune out Lucas and Viviane's argument until he got further away. But it didn't escape his notice that the little girl was beginning to grow up, judging by the new inner fire she was showing at times.

 _"And it's only gonna get more interesting"_ Dante thought, thinking ahead. _"Whatever Lucas comes to decide out of the argument, now or after this is over, Viviane may still have a point. Then sooner or later, Viviane, Sophie, and all those who begin to share the new hands-on approach aren't gonna be satisfied with the older generation's hands-off policies. Lucas is more in-between them now thanks to Sophie's influence, but his in-bred learned knowledge skews toward hands-off."_

Still, the temporary campsite itself remained, but many were purely resting; preparation for the rest of their long trip. They had to meet up with Lok and the others as soon as possible - Solwing had flown ahead an great distance on his behalf, tracking, and also as a sort-of means to keep them in the right direction.

Thus far, the Silent Soldiers had remained at the beachhead, except now they would be Curselocked every eight-to-nine hours instead of ten (hey, they didn't want another incident), this order being carried out by Guggenheim. Really bad timing too, that they escaped just as their marks came back - it was a misconception though that their security over them had been lacking. Anyway, Guggenheim had also informed the Council of the situation, as had he, and now the man would lead in his place while they were on the move. And at the same time, for now at least, his Ignatius and Metagolem were helping watch them. Dante smiled a bit, knowing they'd follow Guggenheim's orders just as well, as he'd told them to.

If he had to pull them back in the battle to come help though, he hoped Guggenheim would forgive him.

"Dante?"

He looked behind him, as Sandra caught him, slowing from a run to a walk beside him. "Sorry I'm late" she breathed.

"No problem, Sandra" he said mildly. "Setting up supply lines and checkpoint logistics as we go along are underrated, but highly important jobs for this kind of work. Now, you want me to call again?"

"Please."

He took out his Holotome and began calling again... which began to ring over twenty times without an answer.

"Hmm, no busy signal" Dante mused faintly. "Maybe something's happening, and he just doesn't - or can't - notice."

Even without looking, he knew the wary look she was trying to suppress.

"But no need to panic yet" he said more lightly, ending the attempt and pressing more buttons. "There are others we can call."

 _/_

"Leviathan, Aqua Burst!"

Critas jolted from the point-blank attack, before bashing their heads together. Leviathan shuddered, but retaliated by wrapping itself around Critas' face (smartly avoiding the tusks, which could retract), causing Critas to trumpet in outrage. Both struggled against each other, even causing Critas to sway to one side- Lok couldn't begin to imagine that level of strength. Then he slowly realized it wasn't all Leviathan; partway through, Critas saw this tactic, and let herself fall-

-crushing Leviathan between the ground and his head.

Lok winced, but also cheered on the inside - not a bad blow, so good job, both of you guys.

Still, Leviathan wasn't down, getting up much easier than it's heavy opponent - and he didn't wait for Critas to recover.

"Retract!"

Critas' tusks shrank back into it's body, at the same time Leviathan collided with her, sending them both to the ground. Lok thought he could get why; those things must only add to the balancing issue while extended, and she'd need all the help she could get. Quite a good competition.

No matter how into it he was though, Lok couldn't miss the way his pack vibrated on his back; Holotome was ringing. Wondering who that could be (and wishing they had better timing), he slowly sighed and got to work... fifteen seconds later, he had it out and running, just off to the side (though he was sure he heard an under-her-breath comment from Sophie about doing this _now_ ).

Dante's image came through, with his usual expression. _"Lok, is Eathon currently occupied?"_ he asked mildly.

Lok chuckled slightly. "You could say that, Dante" he said, slightly sheepish. "Dad and Zhalia are having a little friendly competition together" he continued, turning it around to show them. Even as this happened, Critas just barely avoided Leviathan, who's scales had spontaneously 'perked up' like a porcupine (that 'Spike Scale' ability, no doubt).

 _"Well, that explains things"_ Dante said easily, but there was an unmistakable sigh of relief intermixed with his words, from another person.

"Is mom there with you?" he asked, hoping she was as he turned the image back around.

Dante merely smiled, before his image ended, then showed mom's. _"I'm here, Lok"_ she said, still showing some of that earlier relief. _"And glad to see you again."_

"It wasn't that long ago" Lok said, but only half-sheepish; internally, he was just really glad. "Are _you_ okay, mom?"

 _"Perfectly"_ she said, with a little smile. _"Dante and Guggenheim both know their stuff, and I had a hand in it as well."_

"The Blood Spiral soldiers?" he asked, his words interrupted slightly by a muted thump from dad + Zhalia's battle.

 _"Yes, quite."_

"Well, hopefully we can deal with them soon" he said faintly, rubbing the back of his head. "Instead of holding them at the beachhead though, Dante, you should take them back to our dimension - maybe it won't be possible for them to return from there."

 _"That's an interesting idea, Lok - and even if it doesn't prevent them from returning, the energy demand involved would skyrocket thanks to the dimensional boundaries"_ Dante's voice came through the Holotome, though mom's image remained.

"I can't believe I had an idea that you hadn't thought of, Dante" Lok said, making a sound. "I mean, I'm still not at your level, least yet."

 _"One day, Lok, one day. And either way, was bound to happen eventually."_

Mom made a sound, partly amused by the sound of it. _"Don't worry, you two will have plenty of time to talk about important stuff"_ she said, brushing a strand out of hair out of her face. _"But right now, the important thing is that you're all safe."_

"Of course" Lok answered, before glancing over. "And also, I'm pretty sure Cathy still has a lot to get off her chest, mom" he continued, more soft. "More than anything, she'll want your advice."

She smiled, touched. _"I'd be happy to, Lok."_

He nodded, before he carefully walked over. "Cathy?" he asked, startling her a bit. "Woah, it's okay."

"Hehehe, sorry bro" she breathed, sheepish as well. "Is everyone okay at the, uh, the beachhead?"

"Maybe a few scratches, but nothing serious" Lok assured her, before handing over the Holotome, much to her surprise. "Mom's been worried about us, of course - go ahead, talk to her."

He was glad to see her surprised relief - maybe saying some of their internal issues to dad, him, and their friends had helped, but by and large, she knew mom the best; so he let her walk off, standing there with a smile.

"So, you didn't start that call."

Lok turned, seeing an arms-crossed-but-somewhat-amused Sophie beside him. "Well of course not" he answered faintly, rubbing his head. "That would have been rude to Zhalia and my dad."

The smirk softened a little, and she stepped closer. "The two people least likely to mind such an 'insult'" Sophie said, bumping her shoulder against his, half-playful.

"Hehe."

/

 _"Well, certainly nothing to worry about"_ Dante thought, seeing Sandra talking with her daughter now - and by the looks of it, would be awhile. He intended to let them have their moment, but hoped they wouldn't take too long; he still needed to tell the team about the Red Comet.

"But, no way to do so now" he said faintly to himself. "It'd be cruel to interrupt, even if it is serious."

Near him, another Nexual portal opened up, right on schedule (and calculated to be in it's proper place from Earth) - Santiago and LeBlanche were all ready to handle matters on that front. However, there was a surprise visitor among the group coming in-

-who spotted him almost immediately. "Dante!"

Oh, well this could either be _very_ interesting, or _really_ bad.

"Scarlet" he still said respectfully. "It's been awhile."

She nodded, stopping a few feet away. "For us all" she said easily, "Just weeks ago, I visited Sandra again, and learned that I'd missed both Lok and Cathy - I thought it such a shame. She did say that you weren't there though; too busy at your job in New York?"

"Pretty much" he answered, mild. "And that work involved taking me here (he gestured at the sky above him), as you can plainly see."

Scarlet smiled, taking that good look around, turning in place. "For me, this is as good as you can get" she said, very interested, before turning back to him. "Any chance you'd like to show a woman like that around?"

Yup, just as he remembered; that teasing, friendly flirting. "Well, if I had the choice, perhaps" he merely said, crossing his arms.

That raised an eyebrow, and put a hand on her hip. "Something's changed about you, Dante" Scarlet noted. "Before, you would have answered with 'I'd love to', or 'Be my guest', or other friendly-in-meaning answers."

"Yes, I would, and I have before" he answered. "But the fact is, Scarlet, right now... I'm essentially taken."

There was no surprise, or any reaction really - in fact, more than anything, she looked like this was to be expected. "What's 'essentially' mean, Dante?" she asked, teasing.

"It means we're both being careful about it, as well as slow" he said, slowly smiling himself. "And it's partly my tease for this conversation, but that's as far as it goes; I'm serious about it too. So I'm sorry, Scarlet, but I've had to downgrade from friendly-in-meaning answers - that's just how it is."

"Another shame" she breathed, teasing before she went back to normal. "But I respect that, as I should; why would anyone work with me if I didn't? But besides that, I could see how well you four liked each other, and you all needed a little push."

"Don't tell me all your flirting was to help us" Dante asked, raising an eyebrow himself.

"Well, not _all_ of it, but enough" Scarlet admitted, winking. "Besides, that was the low-cut stuff; if I truly wanted you or Lok, there would be no question in your minds about how I feel."

Yikes, he could only imagine how Zhalia or Sophie would have reacted if _those_ implications had happened. Matter-of-fact, the images of such nearly caused him to shudder; good thing he caught it in time.

"Now, perhaps I'd better stop talking shop and get to work, as they say."

He just chuckled after a moment, internally relieved. "Quite right, Scarlet" he told her, before pointing her to the medical division-

...

 _"I don't know how much longer I can do this, mom."_

Despite the uncertainty in her daughter's voice, it brought back such memories. "Oh, I know the feeling all too well, Cathy" Sandra breathed. "Feeling overwhelmed, barely making it through the thick of things, seemingly through luck and quick reflexes rather than skill-"

 _"Yeah"_ Cathy breathed quickly. _"That's all of it. I mean, I know it gets easier, and that I won't suddenly lose the ability in the next battles, but it's just- it's hard, mom. I-I needed to say that."_

"We all do sometimes, Cathy, whether it's the first time or the hundredth" she said, assuring. "But you aren't one to give up, whether it's in college or this world. Voicing and acknowledging doubts can help rebuild your resolve."

 _"Heh"_ Cathy breathed, scratching her head with a finger. _"And, well, the big final battle will be soon... I can see that well enough. More than anything though, I just want it to be over."_

"As do I" she started seriously.

Cathy shook her head. _"No mom, not just that; all of this"_ she said, a little weak for a moment. _"All this battling, and the fighting - I'm gonna need a break from it soon, and find out what it is I'm going do next. There's an entire dimension out here that I never knew about, and it could change everything - well, even more than it already has."_

Sandra was quiet for a moment, slowly breathing - she knew the implications of what Cathy had said. Her first instinct was to say 'don't put yourself in anymore danger, please', but she knew that was not her place to say; this was Cathy's choice, and her future she was deciding on.

 _"But, well... I'm still okay, despite everything, and I'm gonna stay that way"_ Cathy slowly added, mostly to herself. _"I'll make sure of it. Lok and dad will too."_

She slowly smiled; that's her girl. When did she grow up so fast though?

Out loud, she said: "If it helps, you can find comfort in a hug" Sandra said gently. "I'm not here to give one right now, though I much want to."

 _"Oh, that sounds good, mom"_ she breathed, longing a little, before she realized this. _"But, I'll see you soon?"_

"If Dante has his way, very soon" she assured.

Cathy smiled a bit, nodding, before she touched her fingers to the Holotome's screen (or as close as she could, not knowing how it worked exactly). _"I love you, mom."_

"I love you too, Cathy. And please, tell the same to Lok and Eathon."

 _"Of course I will."_

* * *

The blast's concussion hit, skidding Den backward a foot, even though he was quite a distance away. Ahead of him, Dullahan and Freelancer recovered in mid-air and landed on their feet, even as Cursed Archer barely managed to jump over the shockwave.

There was a brief lull as the Titans stared at each other, his Titans somewhat straining, and Den took that moment to consider things.

Hermos was definitely around fourteen tall at the shoulders, and even taller if you considered the head – still, Den wasn't sure how the horse compared to Critas, especially since he hasn't seen the other Titan in person yet. What little of the horse's skin he could see was a dark brown, while the rest was mostly covered in highly-polished, surprisingly flexible metal, though his first guess had been wood due to the look. Openings allowed amber eyes to show, as well as the nostrils and ears (both of which seemed to be as big as his own human head, at least). During that lull, the Titan pawed the ground, almost daring them to continue. This Titan was definitely a spirited mare-

Den tried to think what legend was inspired from this Titan, but got nothing, until the sudden image of warriors using a wooden horse to sneak into a city came to him. He had only a split-second to handle that realization; Dullahan breathed fire from his shield's mouth, while Hermos thrust her head into the stream, buffering it without much harm.

"Cherit, now!" Den called.

"AHHH!"

Cherit's blast hit Hermos straight on the jaw, jolting the Titan's head, and letting her feel the stream for the last second. If anything though, this was only scratching the paint... either for real, or the Titan was making it seem that way. Den really hoped it was the latter, but this Titan's ability to last beyond normal boundaries made it a small one.

"Ahh" Cherit breathed from above him, starting to dip again. "That's three times I've hit her - I don't think I can manage more than one more, and that'll be weaker."

"Do you need a break?" Den asked, at the same time calling _"Raypulse!"_ , hoping to distract the Titan from Cursed Archer's work.

"I'll be fine, even with another blast, but I'll need rest one way or the other."

"Got it" Den breathed, looking at Hermos again. _"That willpower must be the only reason she allowed Cherit to 'interfere', I'll bet."_

Still, the battle continued: Hermos reared with a whinny, having been struck by both Freelancer and Dullahan, who both stayed on the offensive and swerved to the Legendary Titan's sides. Dullahan breathed fire from it's shield again, drawing the Titan's attention... which allowed Cursed Archer to jump straight onto her back. At that exact same moment, Freelancer's spear glanced off the horse's leg, with enough recoil to force him off. The horse snorted as Cursed Archer ran up her neck, balancing very delicately as it stabbed it's energy swords into it's skull. Or rather, would have, if she weren't so heavily armored.

The hit was still enough to stagger Hermos, but the recoil knocked Cursed Archer off-balance-

 _"Shadowbind!"_ Den quickly called out.

Just as Cursed Archer fell, his Shadowbind wrapped around him, just managing to move his momentum from a dead-drop to a sliding one... though Hermos swung her head for an offhand hit, making that difficult. Den lost control of the spell as Cursed Archer was flung, but the Titan managed to turn the hit into a roll, though clearly wounded from it. Definitely not good; they were all getting worn out here. Den wanted to win and definitely get this Titan's approval, but he didn't think that was possible... yet he was gonna try anyway.

"Freelancer! Charge!"

The Titan did so, even as Hermos tried to move away from Dullahan's fire stream - just before impact, Hermos moved her head again, deliberately missing an arrow strike from Cursed Archer.

Damn.

Freelancer's spear actually made a dent, even if not big, and hit skin by the sound of it. Hermos struggled to pull herself free, but Freelancer was hanging on, his spear lodged in the snout armor, trying to disorient her by repeatedly bashing his shield against the metal. However, just as the Legendary Titan swung her head, she hit Dullahan and sent him flying... which included returning.

Den grunted, starting to pant a little. "Hang on!" he told Freelancer, willing Cursed Archer to go help him mentally. "Cherit, wait for an opening, then hit her chest" he continued under his breath, only loud enough that the flying Titan could hear it ("You got it.")

Freelancer still hung on for dear life as the horse Titan repeatedly swung her head, pawing and trampling across the field (almost like a bull throwing someone off), the struggle worse when Cursed Archer got on her back again. Still, the three of them struggled, moving closer and closer to the edge of the forest on the left, and Den had to use Hyperstride just to keep up + stay close. Only on the last stretch did he see what Hermos was going for, but it was too late. With all her might, Hermos swung her head + the still-clinging Freelancer... right against a thick tree.

Den could hear the crack from fifty feet away, and the impact almost broke it in two, knocking Cursed Archer off it's back - Freelancer returned soon after that, making Den grunt. There was a small lull where Cursed Archer struggled to his feet, almost done himself, while Hermos shook off the blow well enough, turning to face them again. The pieces of armor below her eyes came undone, piece-by-piece falling to the ground with clangs, exposing the dark-colored skin underneath (the wound heavily bloodied, or given the appearance of it).

It was then that Den saw it; this wasn't a battle he was gonna win. Cursed Archer was on his last legs, Cherit only had one blast left on him, if that... and the look in the Titan's eyes was a fierce one, showing that she took breaking her armor as a _very serious_ thing. Still, the Legendary Titan was keeping itself in check, waiting for him to make the next move. However, it gave him some some measure of satisfaction to see that this Legendary Titan had been wounded (and winded, as he could hear from the audible snorting). If only Den had more energy to summon Titans though - but thus far, he thought he was lucky to have done this well; he'd used Kaioh and Vigilante earlier, and now only Cursed Archer remained out of the three others.

He still had Tyrannos, but it'd be a risk, due to how weak his own energy was...

 _"Well, might as well go down fighting."_

"Cherit, Cursed Archer, hit her with your best shot" he said out loud.

"Right... AHH!"

Cherit's blast hit Hermos right on the eyes, which had to be a hard jolt despite it being weaker - Cursed Archer's energy sword arrow managed to pierce it's flesh, opposite the side that Freelancer had damaged.

After that, slowly, Hermo just looked at them again - still quite angry at them for the damaged armor, but keeping herself in check.

Cherit wearily fell to the ground, and Den slowly recalled Cursed Archer, quiet and making sure his buddies were all okay. When he next looked up, Hermos had come very close, and towered over him... a little weary, he pulled out Tyrannos' amulet, but the horse merely pawed the ground, making him uncertain. Slowly, Hermos lowered her head, leaving her snout just high enough that he could reach out and touch her. Den hesitated, wondering if she was really gonna allow this, but the horse was patient, and eventually he managed it. Still no amulet though, Den noticed, so he didn't think the Legendary Titan was done quite yet.

Just then, the Titan mentally touched his mind, and he jumped - however, the Titan did not seek to control him or hurt him; she merely searched through his memories, which he decided to allow after a little while. Behind his own eyes, he saw a fast-moving series of things that had happened before, but when they got to his battles with Harrison, they lingered for quite awhile. He was uncomfortable, and wanted to ask what point this served, but he kept his silence as Hermos continued to dig.

In return, Den got a few glimpses into the feelings of Hermos - such as that, for some odd reason, she sought to embody traits of both genders for herself. Seriously, a brief glimpse of the horse underneath the armor revealed very soft shades of white and brown, while the armor and her fierce look might have gotten her mistaken as a male. He didn't get more than that, but he was interested, because Den was quite sure he didn't see that too often. Only thing that confused him was the other time Hermos lingered on his own memories; that time with Sophie going over 'brain teasers' with him, trying to say that not over-thinking was a good skill to have.

...did the Titan have a thing for those or something?

Before the Titan could give any more hints to that question, the mental touch withdrew... and after it did, Cherit stirred.

"She says you passed."

He blinked, glancing between Cherit and Hermos. "Uh, come again?"

"She says you show willpower and resolve very well" his friend said lightly, still weary from the battle, but sounding well enough. "She was going to further test you, by having you do something you hated to do, but your memories show that you already possess the quality."

Now he understood, the first part anyway; his memories of fighting Harrison had been some of the most difficult of his life. Before he could even think to respond though, a glowing light appeared near Hermos' head, floating down toward him. It stopped just in front of him, two feet away, appearing to be a dark-purple ring - a color he didn't normally associate with rings, and at first glance appeared to be styled after wood, but he wasn't sure yet. Den glanced up at the Legendary Titan. "Thank you" he said faintly, but meaning it - he knew it wasn't so simple, that he'd fight the Legendary Titan (win/lose/draw) and suddenly she'd be his.

There was more of course, so he slowly reached for the ring.

The moment he grasped it, Den groaned, the light intensifying three-fold as he fought to prove his will. It was a struggle, but he kept telling himself that Sophie and Zhalia had both done it; he would try too, and he had to do his best, no exceptions. More than that though, the entire team was counting and cheering for him to do this, even had chosen him over Lok, and he was not gonna let them down damnit. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but it might have been three minutes, and it kept intensifying. Near the end of it, he was sweating profusely, but he was so close, so he pushed harder-

-but then something happened.

 _He saw a scorched battlefield, dominated by a blood-red sky above them, a brief glimpse of what seemed to be a smoking volcano, along with a fast-moving image of what seemed to be a big battle... then something huge slammed into the ground, not entirely in his vision, but he saw enough to know it was an ar-_

Den gasped, blinking, and only seconds later did he see that the ring had settled in his palm; he'd gained Hermos' approval.

"D... Den?"

"Uhh" he breathed, slowly looking at Hermos, then at Cherit. "Did- did the others have visions when they succeeded, Cherit?"

At that, the Titan appeared to regain some of his energy, for a little. "Indeed they have, Den" he said quickly. "What did you see?"

"Well, it wasn't good, and-"

A massive burst of thunder cut him off, jolting all three of them - together they slowly looked toward the source.

Beyond the forest, past a stretch of absolute nothing but open land, the sky above was twisting and crackling, thunder continuing to sound even from so far away... and the sky was turning blood-red ( _uniformly_ blood-red). Hermos went absolutely tense, screeching at the sight, even as Cherit had to hang onto Den - dread just settled over him.

"It looked a lot like _that_ , Cherit" Den finished, knowing things were about to get real; he had to get back.

* * *

 _A little earlier_

"What!?"

 _"You heard me, Lok"_ Dante said grimly. _"And you can see for yourself."_

Before Lok could even attempt to say something other than 'What!?', the Holotome was yanked out of his hands by Sophie, who stared at the space images that held a prominent red dot among them, approaching Jupiter. "But that's impossible!" she exclaimed. "Literally and figuratively! It couldn't have traveled all those parsecs so quickly!"

 _"Yes Sophie, but the point remains; somehow, it did, and we all know how this is gonna go"_ Dante continued, his image overlaying the space images for now.

"The Blood Spirals will be making their move" Zhalia said, just as grim - beside her, Cathy made a little sound.

"Indeed" his dad breathed, hand near his chin. "But how did they accomplish this? Besides the hints that losing will not hinder them, and their work to bring the Nullifiers, there's been no slips of any kind, no pieces to this puzzle."

"Well dad, with luck-"

Lok was cut off by this tremendous thunder, staggering the lot of them, all of them save Cathy recovering quickly. "What is that!?" his sister cried, looking around wildly.

"I don't know, but still we-"

"Lok, look!"

He quickly did, and gasped.

Beyond their view of the forest, just past a stretch of land, the sky was distorting near a distant volcano... turning uniformly blood-red; a first for this dimension. The shock value made him stare, but he got over it enough that he could function again. "Dante, you seeing this?" he said quickly.

 _"I wish I wasn't"_ he said, still grim. _"And not just through this Holotome."_

"Wait" Zhalia said, to Lok's faint surprise, stepping closer. "You can see it all the way from the beachhead?"

 _"Well, we're not exactly at the beachhead anymore, more on the move, but yes"_ Dante admitted.

There was a moment and silence, then they exchanged looks. "You're coming to join us?" Sophie asked, completely serious.

 _"Yes, Sophie, we are."_

She sagged a little. "Good, we'll need it" Sophie breathed, relieved.

 _"Just don't start too much without us"_ Dante teased, though still serious. _"It'll take a little over half-a-day, so we'll see you then."_

Then he ended the call, so Lok slowly closed his Holotome, finding everyone looking at him. "Well, Dante said it'll take them half a day" he said, more lightly than he felt. "Cathy, what time is it?"

A little surprised, Cathy slowly looked down at her watch. "W-Well, if this thing's still working correctly in here" she said, glancing at the area around them, which had twisted a little thanks to the strong emotions they'd recently felt. "It's about 8 PM."

"And it'll still take awhile for us to cross that distance, no matter what" their dad mentioned. "Despite the immediate threat, it wouldn't do us good to fight while tired."

"Exactly" Lok said, with a little smile. "Besides, we're still a force of seven against hundreds; we need Dante + the others' support. So, I say we wait for Den, travel some of that distance, then make camp."

"Works for me" his sister said, relieved. "I'm still trying to recover from _today_ -"

She was interrupted when there was a rushing sound, and when they looked, Den leapt from below the cliff overlooking Hermos' lair. He landed nimbly, Hyperstride's magic fading completely, before he stepped forward carrying a weary Cherit, holding something in one fist. "Guys, something just-" Den started to say quickly before he saw their expressions, then he slowly slumped. "...please tell me there isn't any bad news other than what's happening behind me."

"I wish I could, Den" Lok said sincerely.

A moment, then Den just wearily accepted this. "Okay, fine, hit me with it" he said faintly, stepping forward, giving Cherit to dad.

"The Red Comet" Sophie stated faintly. "It's approaching Jupiter as we speak."

Surprisingly, other than a brow furrowing, this got little reaction out of Den... but then again, Den did look to be weary, and he was just in a major test against a Legendary Titan. "Great" he spoke faintly, sarcastic. "Now those damn bullies are gonna work their magic - are we gonna stop them now? Or do we have time?"

"No, thankfully that's tomorrow" Cathy said quickly, before she glanced at dad. "T-Though, I still don't know if waiting is a good idea-"

"It's the only choice, I'm afraid" their dad said, though not unkindly. "We've covered three Legendary Titans in nearly as many days, a great feat all it's own, but we're all tired, and this is the big confrontation. Plus without Dante and the others, we're outnumbered."

"So we need our rest" Lok said, agreeing. "Any objections, Den?"

"None at all."

 _/_

"The level that Eathon knows Leviathan is incredible!"

"What did you expect, Sophie? He's had him for years- uh, at least as far as I know."

Sophie acknowledged this, arms still crossed as she walked, Cathy and Lok beside her. She hadn't meant to discuss something like this while things were still serious, but Lok had mentioned it to break the silence, she'd answered, and then they just kept going... so here they were.

"Still, Zhalia did about what I'd expect" she said mildly.

"I heard that, Sophie."

Oh... she wanted to tell Lok to wipe that grin off his face, but barely managed not to. At least Cathy just looked embarrassingly sheepish on her behalf-

 _Thunk_

It was incredibly subtle, but she did hear it- Lok too, while Cathy seemed unsure. Ahead of them, Zhalia, Den and Eathon stopped almost immediately, listening as well - at the moment, Cherit was resting inside Lok's pack, so he remained blissfully unaware. When another sounded, slightly louder, she immediately determined it's bearing and distance - it was coming quickly. "That way!"

Her words came true as the thunks grew louder, with detectable movements from falling trees; it was almost upon them.

"Get ready" Sophie told Lok, who nodded, and together they put themselves in front of Cathy (who though she didn't see this, looked relieved at first, before quickly trying to be ready herself).

Seconds passed as the thunks grew louder still-

 _Crash_

Sophie braced herself as the culprit - a rapidly-spinning Titan - burst through the trees twenty feet away from them. Then it briefly turned sideways and skidded off another thick cluster of trees on their left (now putting her, Lok and Cathy as the closest ones), slowing itself to a halt but still spinning somehow. At first glance, it looked familiar, but that was in the back of her mind and she got herself ready-

"No way..."

Sophie blinked slowly, glancing to her left. "Lok?" she asked, confused, but keeping an eye on the Titan's movements.

"Bro?"

The rolling Titan reoriented itself, still spinning, but now turning in their direction.

Lok ran forward-

"Lok what are you doing!? - What the!? Lok!"

Lok stopped seven feet ahead of where he'd been standing, just facing the rolling Titan, who then charged forward with blinding speed... it was ten feet away from him, seven, five, three, two-

The rolling Titan stopped inches from Lok, who hadn't flinched, still spinning - Sophie couldn't understand it, even as her heart hammered, and she didn't doubt Cathy's was the same but worse! Slowly, she became aware that Zhalia, Eathon, and Den had joined them close by... she quickly noted the utter lack of surprise on Zhalia's face, and the furrowing brow on Den. Slowly, Sophie turned her attention back to the standoff, such as it was. Wait, the Titan was slowing down in it's place, where it finally stopped spinning and she could get a good look at it's form.

Sophie gasped; wait a minute, that was-!

The Titan fully uncurled itself from it's rolling position, floating up without assistance - he sported four arms, two tails, and golden armor.

Lindorm!

Lok's voice was thick with emotion. "It's you" he breathed, slowly (shakily) putting a hand out. "Oh god, you don't know how good it is to see you again!"

Lindorm breathed low, moving about in place as if he were half-feral, but lingering as if unsure. He watched Lok's hand draw closer every inch of the way, making growls and motions in the process, trying to figure something out. However, the closer Lok got, the more Lindorm slowly settled down, his small growls growing with... recognition. Eventually, the Titan floated an inch closer, his muzzle close enough for Lok to touch. It took another few seconds, but Lok did it - and even from a small distance, Sophie saw the Titan's symbol etch itself into Lok's right hand, just from the glow alone.

She felt glad for him, but more than anything, it brought back images of her and Sabriel - she touched her palm, vision briefly blurring.

It took a few moments, but the silence was broken from beside her: "Oookay, now I'm really confused" Cathy slowly breathed, just starting to register the fact that her brother had this entirely under control.

"That makes two of us, but for different reasons" Sophie admitted, briefly wiping at her eyes before looking at Zhalia. "Anything you'd like to say?"

The woman raised an eyebrow, but merely crossed her arms. "Well, during that last encounter with Kiel, when we got separated, we had a lucky run-in with Spinny over there" Zhalia said mildly, gesturing at Lindorm, who growled a little at that (Lok was sheepish). "He didn't stick around, but I told Lok about what we saw - I think we both figured he'd come back."

"And _no one_ bothered to tell me about this?"

"Well, I didn't know myself, Sophie" Eathon said mildly - "You didn't ask" Zhalia said lightly, even teasing - "Sorta forgot" Lok said, very sheepish, Lindorm just breathed out a bit - "I... just didn't know what to say either" Cathy added, also very sheepish - "I guess I... missed this part while we were helping Cherit?" Den slowly added, unsure himself as he thought.

Letting out a groan, Sophie face-palmed - her friends, ladies and gentlemen; what was she gonna do with them?

"A-And anyway, what's up with the- uh, whatever-it-is Titan?"

Slowly withdrawing her hand, Sophie looked at Cathy. "...his name is Lindorm" Sophie eventually said. "Due to a powerful Titan battle, Lok lost his amulet, like I did with Sabriel before."

"And I don't think you two would get along, Cathy" Eathon added, stepping closer. "This Titan is hard to control, unless you're feeling aggressive - in fact, the best synchronization is when his Seeker is truly angry."

Sophie could have sworn Cathy shivered, but that could have been her imagination... the blanch certainly wasn't though. "Oh no, I-I wouldn't have done well with him at all" she said quickly, almost afraid at the thought, Lindorm giving off a little snort at that.

"Well, I still have a question for _you_ " Sophie said, stepping up next to Lindorm. "Presumably you can see while you're using Rolling Charge. Why did you just help out, then leave back there during the battle?"

Lindorm barely reacted except to (seemingly) glare at her, but Lok answered in his place: "He uh, says it's been awhile; he's started reverting back to his natural instincts in here" he said, rubbing his head sheepishly. "He felt unsure when he passed by Zhalia and Den, but it wasn't enough to make him stop. Only our bond made him stop on me, so... yeah. I was betting on our bond too, when I stepped in front of him-"

"You still could have gotten yourself hurt, Lok!" she exclaimed, half-hitting him.

"Oww-" Lok breathed, mock-massaging his 'wound', but trying not to grin.

/

 _Later_

Den just groaned as he got down, laying eagle-spread on the ground over his sleeping bag - beside him, Cherit was already sleeping like a rock.

"Hey, I know you're tired, but you don't need to be dramatic" Zhalia said lightly, still working to set up camp. Just across from her, Eathon and Cathy were digging the pit for the fire, while Lok and Sophie were talking a distance away - Lindorm still remained with them, at the moment keeping watch above them in the trees. In particular, the Powerbonded Titan was looking toward the blood-red sky, growling a little in anticipation of the battle tomorrow. And speaking of which, while she knew the reasons for waiting, it was a risk they didn't need to take. Or so it would be; but in this case, they were six Seekers against who knows how many Blood Spirals?

Den just breathed out. "I've just gone through a confidence trip, fought a Legendary Titan, and gained it's approval" he said faintly, drawing her back. "That's a lot to adjust to, Zhalia."

A moment, then she glanced at him. "Tell me about it" she said, remembering. "Well, not the confidence bit, but still."

Den glanced back. "Yeah, you were always confident, Zhalia" he breathed, slowly sitting up.

"I've worked hard to keep it that way" she said, having had to stop herself from saying 'look that way' instead.

A moment, then Den looked right at her. "Am I at your guys' level now?" he asked, but with a little smile.

"Mmm, you're still learning" she stated, a little playfully. "But you're a good Seeker, and you've earned your chops, including taming a Legendary Titan. Comparing yourself against others is a good measure, but it shouldn't be your _only_ measure."

His lip curved a little more at the tease, but he nodded. "Yeah" he breathed slowly, only half to her, looking away. "It won't be anymore."

Zhalia said nothing, but secretly, she did smile a little as she continued her work. When she glanced up though, she noticed Lok and Sophie were suddenly nowhere to be found, plus Eathon and Cathy had noticed, but weren't alarmed.

Hmm, interesting - just like on that trip to Ireland.

Work otherwise continued though, and soon the fire was going, about a third of their members sleeping already (namely Cherit, and Den had lain down, so he was probably getting there). Zhalia had just finished setting up her own sleeping bag when she noticed her pack vibrating a little, and her heart beat a little faster. Shaking her head a little to clear it, she queued up her Holotome, though she moved a distance away, not wanting everyone to hear so easily. When she answered the incoming call, Dante's image soon came up, and he smiled a bit. _"Hey"_ he breathed lightly.

She slowly breathed out, a little amused. "Again with that greeting?" she asked mildly, but a little soft.

Dante chuckled. _"I wish I could say I'm having a moonlit walk right now, but there is no moon here as far as we know, and the sky's opaque anyway"_ he said - he also had signs of a long march in his bearing.

"Don't tell me you're gonna be marching through the night."

 _"Not all of it"_ he assured. _"Some, certainly, but we will get some sleep, then catch up with you as fast as we can. We'll fully recover after this is all over."_

Zhalia slowly breathed out. "I hope so" she said faintly. "And..."

 _"Yes?"_

"I don't think I'd... mind all that much... having that walk with you."

It took him a moment, but Dante smiled, with an 'interesting' expression. _"Zhalia"_ he mildly chided. _"You know that's a big step up, reserved for serious relationships."_

Her cheeks burned, and she made a little sound, but she managed to stay right where she was.

Dante slowly drew back over the course of several moments. _"Sorry, maybe that was a little much, even for me"_ he said faintly, but gentle.

"I-It's okay."

A small silence between them.

He made a sound himself. _"Tomorrow's a big day, in more ways than one"_ he said, a little serious. _"I know you can handle yourself, but promise me you'll be careful."_

Her breath was a little shaky, but she managed. "I promise, Dante" she breathed faintly. "I'll come back to you."

It was very subtle, but part of his eyebrow rose, just a little.

"W-With this team, all of us."

He smiled again, nodding. _"I know you will"_ he said gently, soft; it made her heart beat faster. _"Take care, Zhalia."_

Her finger slowly moved toward the 'End Call' button. "Goodnight" she breathed, glancing down.

 _"Goodnight."_

 _Click_

Zhalia had to stop herself from drawing in a rattling breath; everyone would have heard that, and awkward questions would abound. Still, if only she could slow her beating heart so easily, or stop her instinct to shiver right then. Before, this would have alarmed her, and prompted her to ask 'What's wrong with me?' - which, admittedly, she'd nearly asked a moment ago. But now, she was beginning to recognize that she'd been feeling this for awhile now, and had instinctively kept it tightly under wraps so no one could see any signs of it. She knew she'd never fully go in that direction, but no longer did she think it'd be unbearable if a little slipped now and again.

 _"I really have changed"_ she thought faintly, if for no other reason than to keep herself from dwelling on this; that she was still having trouble with handling. She stayed that way for a few moments, before another small instinct brought her back; another message?

No, wait...

She looked up - a little dot was approaching them, and she started to recognize it's profile.

Glancing back at the others, she stood up and moved away stealthily, getting about fifty feet before the winged dot came down toward her. Instinctively, she held out her arm, then ten pounds worth of feathers and golden armor landed there.

Zhalia slowly breathed out, but with a little smile. "Well, it's good to see you again, Solwing" she whispered, glad for this.

There was a definite look in Solwing's eyes, even despite the apparent effort of flying a long distance... well, that and his little mental touch.

But this wasn't just communicating though; this was his thoughts and feelings, as if she was bonded to him. In a stretch, Zhalia got images of his encounter with Dante, who'd taken him back (made her heart beat faster), as well as a few battles. But she didn't understand at first; how had she-? However, just as she started to think this, she remembered back after the Venice attack, Lok and Sophie had talked with each other. Sophie said she and Pendragon had bonded, however briefly, during the battle, while Lok and Sabriel had done much the same thing. Sophie had speculated that, her and Lok being so close now, that they were tapping into the bonds of the other's Titans.

Zhalia's cheeks heated up a little, knowing Solwing would be aware of this knowledge from her memory, and what it meant for her and Dante.

Solwing came as close to smiling as was physically possible for his species-

"Oh, don't you start" she warned, already embarrassed enough.

Solwing was unrepentant - and anyway, Zhalia worked hard to move on, and she glanced back toward the uniformly-blood-red section of the sky. "Help us out though" she whispered. "Show me what's happening over there."

He took off, and she watched him go for a little, before moving a hand over her eyes. _"Sharpeye."_

Her vision changed, sharpening and generally exploding with details and colors; though that was to be expected. The images moved for a distance, before they kinda 'zoomed' on the area below the blood-red sky. There was a blood-red swirling energy thing there, rapidly spinning, guarded by a few Silent Soldiers, before Solwing's gaze swept across the area. There were still others on lookout duty, but a major surprise; most of them were asleep. Yes, seriously.

Zhalia grunted; putting those pieces together meant only one thing: whatever that swirling energy thing was, it was important to them, but it was time-consuming... and that they expected the big battle tomorrow, so they were resting now.

If they were able, they should have attacked them right now... but they didn't have the manpower...

 _"Keep an eye on them"_ she mentally told Solwing. _"Any sudden changes, let me know immediately."_

This was not Solwing's day though; first a long flight, barely any rest, and now he had to maintain an unceasing vigil on the Soldiers. Then an idea came to her head, to at least give him some respite... she reached out to Lindorm, and gave him the short version.

...

 _Meanwhile_

"You can't tell me you're not scared, Lok."

"I'm not, Sophie" he said with some exasperation, before he made a sound. "Well, I mean, my heart's not pounding with fear or anything like that - I'm only nervous, knowing it's a big battle tomorrow, and a lot's riding on us. I worry if we'll lose as well, but I'll try my hardest not to let that happen, as I know everyone will."

She slowly glanced down, looking at the yellow grass around them, still lit thanks to no day-and-night cycle here. "As usual" she slowly said, understanding. "I guess... the shock value just wears thin after awhile."

Lok slowly came closer. "I hope not too much" he said. "The day that I don't feel nervous at all is not a good sign."

"For you, or me" Sophie continued faintly, stepping closer herself - together, they leaned against each other's foreheads. "But I'm glad you're here with me now."

Even without looking, she knew he was smiling - well, that and the small kiss he gave to her cheek.

"Yeah, we'll make it, Sophie. All of us, and my family will be together again."

"I'm all for that" she said softly, even as she leaned out of their arrangement. To her surprise though, Lok wasn't done with her yet; one hand touched her hip, even as he came around behind her, quite literally... ending with both arms around her stomach.

Still surprised, and flustered now, Sophie still felt a little rush of warmth at what he was doing. "Lok?" she breathed, soft.

He didn't answer verbally; just kissed her hair (which he seemed to like doing). She looked back at him, smiling a bit; he took that as his cue to kiss her, which she enjoyed... just after it ended though, he pressed his lips to her neck.

Gasping, feeling a shiver go through her, she might have even wobbled. "L-Lok-"

"Hmm?"

"We have a big battle tomorrow-"

"So?"

"So this is serious!"

At that, he spun her around, with a little smile of his own - and very little trace of want, when she looked closely. "Oh I know" Lok breathed, holding her hands now. "I do, Sophie, really."

Sophie glanced at this, curling her fingers a little, before back at him. "But?" she questioned slowly.

He was a little nervous, but he still kept the little smile. "So three things" he said, as best he could. "One, we have time, and I'm a little in the mood for small things. Two, I wasn't suddenly gonna jump from where we are to a-all the way (she blushed). Three, I intend for us both to be around after that big battle, so we can be together."

"Well, that's sweet, the last part I mean" she admitted, looking at him. "But I'll never get how boys can do something else entirely despite the seriousness of a situation."

Lok was sheepishly playful, shrugging. "Who knows?" he breathed, not looking sure about the answer himself. "But if you're not into it tonight, Sophie, you merely have to say so."

She looked at his hands for several moments, then she held them a little tighter. "I never said that I wasn't, Lok" Sophie breathed, before glancing back up. "Just that I, like many women, like a build-up or a gradual transition considerably better than sudden moves."

He slowly brought their joined hands up, kissing the tips of her fingers once. "Sorry" Lok breathed genuinely.

Her lip curved a little.

...

"More fruit, Cathy?"

She shook her head. "No thanks, dad, I'm good" she breathed, to which he nodded. "Though... I am a little confused."

"Hmm?"

Cathy fidgeted a bit with her stick, with what remained of the last fruit. "Well, the reason we came here in the first place was to find you, because you were being hunted by some guy called The Professor" she said faintly. "But we haven't seen hide or tail of him, and these Blood Spirals have been the ones getting in our way."

"All true" he answered faint, both to her, and to himself; what could he be doing with those three Legendary Titans? "It certainly looks terribly lopsided that way."

She looked at him. "So then, why is one guy more of a threat than an entire organization?" she asked, before appearing to reconsider her words. "Well, I mean, at the time-"

"No, I get what you mean" he answered, still faintly. "But the fact is, Cathy, the Blood Spirals depend on the power of their Spiral Mark back on Earth, and the Red Comet in space for world-destroying power. Before now, that Comet was far, far out in space, and the Mark had been quiet... so they were just a group doing sporadic attacks, while the Professor... *sigh* he is a power-hungry man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which is absolute control. The Legendary Titans he controls are no small threat on their own, but he's been consolidating their power ever since. As of now, technically he's the biggest threat as a result - I don't know about in practice though, not with the Blood Spirals all in a single place now."

Cathy made a little sound, but said nothing for awhile. "Does he have a name, beyond 'The Professor'?" she eventually asked.

"Yes" he said, after a moment. "Simon Judeau. We used to be friends, until he was cursed."

Cathy was quite surprised at that, but for several moments, she saw the conflicting emotions on his face. "So... um..." she breathed, unsure. "You mean if we subdue... The Professor, Lok and the others might be able to focus on the Blood Spirals?"

It took him awhile to answer, mostly because his mind was still elsewhere.

"They just might."

Cathy blinked, worried. "What's 'might', dad?"

"Well, the Blood Spirals have a nasty habit of slipping into the shadows" he said, looking at his own subdued mark. "Literally - it takes too long to find their base, and after every battle, they tend to instantly escape through Seeker magic. Even being focused on them, it might drag out."

He didn't see this, least right away, but this further worried Cathy - though seemingly for a different reason than them being hard to catch.

...

"They're still gonna be very strong, Lok."

"I know, I know" he breathed, not entirely soft, but still managing it as he held her - it was almost like they were in some surreal version of laying in a field of grass, watching the stars, though there were none here. "But part of the problem was that The Professor Shadowlocked them, and they had no way to fight back against several incoming blows. Or, I'm assuming it was several- I _hope_ it's several, or it's gonna be really rough tomorrow."

Sophie made a sound, holding onto him. "But no matter what happens, we'll fight our hardest" she breathed, both determined and gentle. "I guarantee it."

"Yeah."

After that, they shared a gaze for a little... then in seemingly less time, kissed each other.

Lok tightened his grip a little, holding her closer to him, which she was eager to do - she soon had her hands on his neck, toying with a few strands of hair, keeping the kiss going strong. But of course she didn't restrict her hands to there; she moved down his back and around his arms, and soon even got onto his chest a little (he didn't mind). Thanks to their efforts, what was a side-by-side thing slowly became skewed toward him being on his back, then later on hers.

His mouth opened a little, and she returned the favor, teasing the lower strands of his shirts, even as his hands moved over her stomach. It wasn't long before one of them (she wasn't sure who was first) touched their tongue to the other's lower lip, then they stopped being restricted. The sheer warmth and juiciness of it all seemed to blur in spots, but she barely noticed. However, at some point, she felt Lok's hand move from her stomach to the very bottom of her rib cage. And not just touching there; under her shirt as well.

Her heart started pounding, hard, despite him having done that before, in general anyway.

"Lok..."

To his credit, though he sounded a little dazed, Lok wasn't completely lost in the pleasure. "Yeah?"

"Are you..." she breathed, really shy at what she felt he might do next. "A-Are you-?"

He didn't answer at first, but his fingers did move slightly on her rib cage. "You mean this?"

She nodded meekly.

"Well... yeah, a l-little. Is- Is that okay?"

"I..." she breathed, blatantly realizing they hadn't said what was allowed and what wasn't earlier - how had that happened!? And it certainly wasn't that he hadn't already done this (just over her clothes, though infrequently), or that she was opposed to it now. Gah, this 'prim and proper' mentality popping up again? "I-I-It's up to you, Lok" she said, without thinking. By the time she realized this, thinking he was about to do so again, not that she was really opposed, she quickly closed her eyes in preparation/instinct.

Lok's hand twitched slightly... then left from under her shirt entirely.

She gasped, looking up at him quickly, utterly confused.

He was looking at her strangely. "'Up to me'?" Lok repeated faintly. "Sophie, are you _that_ nervous?"

Panting a little, Sophie slowly slumped a bit, just plain relieved - Lok had noted her sudden instinctive actions, and just decided to stop when given the choice; bless his heart.

"I'm so sorry, Lok" she breathed, embarrassed. "I said that without thinking, having had another 'incident'. And thank you, for pulling away when you did."

Lok slowly considered this, glancing away from her for a moment. "So, you're nervous, b-but you do want to?" he slowly asked, aware of how embarrassing a question that was.

She still blushed. "I... somewhat" she whispered, just holding onto him; he returned it. "The issue certainly isn't that I don't trust you, because I do."

Even without seeing it, she could tell he smiled a little - then he kissed her, which she returned after half-a-second.

"Well, looks like it'll be awhile, till you get used to it" Lok whispered back, gentle. "You're used to thinking things through, Sophie, but this isn't one you _can_ think through."

"...mmph."

* * *

"Any change?"

Murdock remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No, he's been like this for hours, ever since he drew in the energy from The Professors's Legendary Titans."

Shauna made a sound, observing as red energy swirled around Wind, who remained seated and oblivious to their conversation, so focused that he could not respond to them. The will needed to remain like that for hours on end, and the build-up of time needed to achieve it - both were quite tremendous, even respectable. "And the big man himself?"

Murdock merely gestured behind himself. "Fanatically doing everything he can to increase his power again, after the energy drain" he said, disgruntled.

A sentiment she shared; she was finding it harder and harder to believe this man could have _ever_ ruled through fear. Maybe over the weakest subjects who feared their own shadows, but no more than that. This increasing-obsession of his to gain power and control was rapidly approaching the area of psychotic, evidenced by the worsening distortion of his face. Perhaps he was at his smartest before he was cursed, she mused-

"Still, keep watch over him, or it's on your head" she told him offhandedly, even as she walked away.

A short distance in front of her, The Betrayer stood overlooking a section of Huntik, and she knelt at a respectable distance.

 _"How fares The Professor, Shauna?"_

"He is impatient, and ill-prepared to wait my master, despite his apparent cunning" she said. "I believe the curse is affecting his mind, more than it already has."

 _"Yes, the curse of the Legendary Titans of Body, Mind, and Spirit is a terrible affliction"_ The Betrayer answered, but without sympathy as he turned toward her, still wearing Kiel's body. _"He believes Araknos has subdued it a second time, but he has not, because they have bonded without physically holding his ring, which has been separated from them both."_

Further proof that the curse must be affecting the Professor's mind, if he did not realize (or perhaps did not see) this aspect - the worsening facial distortion was just an added annoyance. "What is to be done about him, Betrayer?" Shauna asked, rather humbly; the only one who demanded such from her. "He will turn on us."

 _"Yes, he will betray us, but it will not matter"_ he said, with a distinct undertone on 'betray'. _"Whether by the heroes' hand, or the curse itself, he will not be around much longer to annoy us. Even if he temporarily succeeds in his betrayal, it will still end in his demise."_

Good, as she'd long had enough of his childish personality. Only one thing remained then...

"They will try to stop us, Betrayer" she said, referring to the 'heroes'.

 _"They will"_ he acknowledged. _"We have goaded them and the Foundation into coming, and they will meet us in time, but it will not matter even if they win. We will succeed regardless."_

"I would be more than happy to fight them head-on" she said, grinning.

 _"Indeed, you must try, but it must also be done correctly, Shauna. Here is what I want you to do-"_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Well, here we go, just like in the middle XD Though also a heads-up, as the final battle will start next chapter, and end at the very last stretch of the second-to-last; I believe this would allow adequate time to end all loose-ends on the last chapter.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	23. Onset

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Den is tested by the Legendary Titan of Resolve, Hermos, and eventually succeeds in earning the Titan's respect - at the same time, Lok and Cathy converse with Sandra over their worries. In particular, Cathy continues to feel small in this new world she never knew about until recently, but she's determined to see it through to the end. However, all is not well; the Red Comet has inexplicably moved from deep in outer space to near Jupiter, approaching slowly. The team and the Huntik beachhead are determined to meet up to stop them, knowing they will make their move soon. A silver lining in the situation is Lok's long-awaited reunion with Lindorm, who needs all the help he can get...**

* * *

 _"Onset"_

 _Episode 75_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"Wow... t-that's a lot of them. Just like in Venice."

Glancing over from her binoculars, Zhalia saw Cathy looking nervous, a good number of feet away near Eathon and Den. "It's gonna be alright, Cathy" she said, "None of us will let anything happen to you, especially this knucklehead."

"Thanks, Zhalia" Lok said ruefully from her other side.

Cathy just let out a sheepish chuckle, partly glad she was defusing her tension, and Eathon put a comforting hand on her shoulder (though he also looked slightly amused). Den didn't appear to hear them, so perhaps he was glued to his binoculars, as was Sophie. On a tree branch above them all, Cherit stayed with Solwing, no doubt both of them looking at/sharing thoughts about the Blood Spiral situation.

Either way, despite overseeing the group, there was only so much intel they could get from this far away. Thus far, all Zhalia saw were Shauna, Kiel, and Wind very close together, with Kiel's back to them, along with the hundreds of Blood Spiral soldiers. Murdock was conspicuously absent, but it was also clear that everyone over there was expecting them. Even by absolute necessity, they couldn't engage all of them - none of them would emerge unscathed. She hoped Dante was close by, and not just for the support in numbers. And then-

-wait, she saw him again; The Professor.

Yikes, he looked even worse than before, and that was saying something.

Sophie noticed too on her left: "The curse has progressed even worse" she said to herself, still looking through her binoculars. "Deal with Araknos or not, he doesn't have much longer left."

"The poor fellow, even if he is a bad guy" Cherit said sadly, now right on her shoulder. "It's a tragedy, just like the Greeks."

Zhalia wasn't sure she'd go that far, but she also knew this might be difficult for Eathon - they were friends once. However, she noted he didn't seem particularly affected right now, or even struggling. Hmm, perhaps he'd come to terms with it-

"Uh, Sophie?" she said slowly.

"Yes?"

"You'd better look at Kiel again..."

A few little adjustments, and- *gasp* "What the-!? Why are his eyes red?" she said in a quick, shocked undertone.

"I can think of three reasons" Zhalia answered grimly. "They all involve one who hates betrayal."

The implications quickly hit home, for most of them. "That means- The Betrayer, he's either possessed Kiel, merged with his body/personality/whatever, or some combination of all that" Sophie said, still with shock. "I can't think of a worse combination!"

"Neither can I" Lok quickly said, quickly scooting closer. "And that means, whoever's in control up there in his brain, he'll come for... you. Oh man!"

 _"Way to amp up the pressure there, Lok"_ she thought to herself.

...

Den made a sound; yup, The Professor has definitely grown uglier since he and Zhalia last encountered him, due to that un-curable curse or something. However, he didn't understand how The Professor had lasted this long in the first place.

Then again, if this man had anything from what he'd heard about him, it was force of will... maybe resolve.

A slight instinct went through him, courtesy of Hermos.

 _"Like we'd ever allow him to bond with you"_ he thought to the Titan. _"He'd abuse you first chance he got."_

Then Den made a sound; this could wait till later, much later. So he looked at Cathy, who definitely looked nervous, which he could understand... "You'll be okay" he said reassuringly. "You've handled this before, and only gotten better since."

She made a sound, but nodded. "Yeah, I have" she said, faint, but not weak. "And I still have all of you."

"Indeed you do, Cathy" Eathon said gently, hand still on her shoulder. "I'll make sure to keep you safe during that battle, as will we all."

"Thanks, dad."

"But you don't have to do this" he added faintly. "No one will think any less of you-"

"I would" Cathy breathed. "I know- I know you'd feel safer that way, dad, but... well, what kind of sister would I be if I did that?"

Den smiled a bit; there's that Lambert spirit.

Eathon himself wasn't surprised. "Honestly, I didn't think you would say anything less" he said, hugging her (after the surprise, she returend it). "But you're right; I would feel safer if you weren't part of this battle. It's been so long since I've seen you, held you like this - I don't want to risk anything happening to that."

Cathy's grip tightened a bit.

Den let them have their moment, then slowly looked at them. "We promise to help protect her, sir" he added, nodding. "All of us."

A little smile at that, Eathon nodded at him. "Good man" he breathed, before there was a jolt and a flash of light; the Spiral Mark reappeared on his arm. "Ah... better get to work."

Den slowly sighed, looking at his own arm - his mark had yet to reappear, but he and Zhalia were only slightly behind Eathon's. Wish they'd hurry up and do something about the pain aspect though; it was like having an electric current running through you, but less paralyzing.

...

"I swear, I'll be okay" Sophie said, as much to herself as to all of them, but mostly Lok. "I'm not afraid of fire, and I'm not gonna relapse if I can help it."

"But it's The Betrayer, Sophie" Zhalia said quietly, even as she had her own mark worked on. "That's a tall order, even for you."

At that, Sophie gave her a sharp look, but it was more confident than anything; good. "I'm the direct descendant of Lord Casterwill himself - I have to step up to the plate" Sophie said intently, hand on her hip. "It won't be easy, but I must do it."

"And I'm right there with you, Sophie" Lok said, both soft and a little eager - though a lot of that last part came from Cherit's "Me too! I'll do everything I can!"

"I'm in too, of course" Zhalia said, but not looking at either of them; she was trying to decide who was best for trampling through large groups (hey, they may need the option to turn the tides). She was about to say something else, but an instinct in the back of her mind kicked in, and she quickly looked around - Solwing dove down, connecting his mind to hers, even as he settled on her shoulder.

 _"What is it?"_ she thought to him.

Solwing had his own instinct - it meant only one thing; Dante was close by again. She had a brief image of Dante's orders for his friend, involving find this team, scout the Blood Spirals, and generally point the way for their traveling procession.

Zhalia breathed out, glad for that; the cavalry wasn't that far out.

"Zhalia?"

"Dante and the others are close" she spoke, telling everyone. "Solwing's instincts says they're about a mile away, gaining on us."

"How long?" Eathon asked, stepping forward.

"Fifteen, twenty minutes" Zhalia guessed. "Maybe half-an-hour at the most, if I'm judged the distance correctly" she added, glancing at Solwing, who moved his wings several times in preparation.

"Well, it'll still take us around fifteen minutes, walking from up here, down to the Blood Spirals anyway" Eathon mused faintly, a hand to his chin. "No matter what the scenario, we would not have to hold out for too long."

"And while we're on the move" Lok said, donning his pack. "We should seriously discuss strategy, before, during, and after any 'holding out' that's required."

"Indeed; a first" Sophie teased, to his little indignation, but the rest were amused.

"We'll still need it though" Cherit noted to Den, who nodded.

Zhalia looked at Solwing. "Either way, tell Dante to hurry" she said mildly, before he took off from her arm.

They took a moment to watch him go, then got back to the business at hand - in particular, Lok came close to her. "Ready?"

"Anytime."

By mental prompt, Lindorm floated out of the trees beside them, eager for his part.

She aimed a hand at the Titan: _"Thoughtspectre."_

At the same time, she heard Lok talk to Cherit; he'd be important, but he couldn't attack everything in sight; he'd have to be strategic, and go where he thought he'd be best.

/

 _A little later_

"You okay back there?"

"I will be, Dante" LeBlanche said lightly, supported a little by Santiago. "I'm not as young as I used to be, but the walk is invigorating."

Dante nodded, turning his attention back to the sky, looking for signs of Solwing - so far nothing.

Beside him on his left, he heard Viviane make a sound, and the resulting conversation (though he kept his gaze on the sky, and somewhat in front of him). "Here we go, into another big battle" she said, holding up Mythras's amulet. "I just hope I don't start shaking again."

"Whatever happens, I'll make sure nothing happens to you" Lucas said on her left, voice a little tense from their previous argument, but otherwise fine. "It's my duty, if nothing else."

"But I thought you were kicked off the Council of Elders."

"Yes, I was, but I'm still a member of this family" he answered, speeding up a bit. "Whether it's you, or Sophie, no one one is gonna hurt our family again. And if the Council's replacement doesn't step down when I get back, that's their problem."

 _"Still stubborn and willful, but slowly getting there"_ Dante noted privately, even as he gestured for the others to jump over this big cliff. _"Hyperstride!"_ he called, 'flying' up and landing in a forest-y area, with what appeared to a lake below... and a telltale sign of a Titan light moving ahead of them; they were close.

Sandra landed beside him, and saw it as well. "We have to hurry" she said.

"Not a problem" Dante started to say, before his bond flared through, and he looked up to see Solwing coming in toward him. "Here we go" he said lightly, letting the Titan perch on his arm, quickly taking in what he'd seen. A few things he found interesting, such as Solwing catching up with Lok's Lindorm (who he was happy to see again himself), Zhalia's amused telling him to hurry up (heh), but also knew they'd have to wait-

"Alright guys, listen up" he said to the assembled group, once they were all present. "I'll make this as short as possible. We know we're facing several elite members of the Blood Spirals, hundreds of their grunts, and The Professor himself with his three Legendary Titans-"

Grier himself made a few subtle motions, eager to take matters into his own hands there.

"-and our finest team is probably there right now" he continued. "They have enough power to handle The Professor's Legendary Titans, but they'll need support + numbers, and that's where we come in."

/

 _Around the same time_

"Right now, the rough plan is that at some point, we _will_ face the Legendary Titans of Mind, Body, and Spirit."

"And when we do" Den noted dourly, walking beside Lok, the rest of them close by. "We'll be in trouble."

"That's one way to put it, Den" Sophie said, though disapproving, before it gradually faded. "Anyway, ideally we should focus our Legendary Titans on them - Myself + Timaeus against Tao, Zhalia + Critas with Behemoth, you + Hermos against Araknos. Plus any other Titans, if we feel they can turn the tide... but it still won't be easy."

"Wait, wait, Sophie" Cathy said quickly. "By that logic, it'll just be me, bro and dad against this Professor guy! Or this Betrayer guy, or even both!"

"It's a rough plan, Cath" Lok said quickly. "Not a fixed one; we don't know what will happen exactly, but we gotta prepare for anything that might happen. Ideally, we'll stick together if we can, but it may not stay that way - though, I'd much rather you stay with dad-"

Even as Cathy responded to that, Cherit moved on his shoulder. "I agree" the Titan said sadly. "Who knows what they might be planning?"

"Whatever it is, we'll face it, just as we have before" Den said, faint but determined. "Gonna be difficult though."

"Confrontations like this always are" Eathon said quietly beside him. "They're hard enough for us adults to face, but this?"

Even though he hadn't said it, Den knew he'd meant them, the 'kids' of the group - and he wondered, why did they always include teens when they said kids?

Cherit's words brought him back: "Zhalia, if you, Den, Sophie are gonna focus your Legendary Titans against The Professor's, who's gonna handle The Professor by himself? Or the Blood Spirals elite, The Betrayer included?"

"A very good question" the older woman mused, faint. "But then again, we're only a force of seven including you; we're not meant to handle large groups at all, lest we be overwhelmed."

"In other words, stall, then make it up as we go" Den said - at the same time, he heard part of Sophie's speech, which still seemed to be part of the 'what-if' part of the plan: _"If all else fails, protect yourself, and determine if it's better to do your own thing or follow another's lead"._

"Yup" Cherit said, more like his usual self. "Just like many armies have done in the past."

Den raised an eyebrow; when had any of them done such a thing? Then he decided it was better not to ask, not only because Cherit would go into a long-winded answer about it... but also because now was not the time, in any sense of the word.

"Right about now, guys" Lok breathed faintly.

"Right" Den breathed, pulling out the ring of Hermos, even as Sophie and Zhalia did the same with theirs.

 _"Break the enemy lines! Legendary Titan of Endurance, Critas!"_

 _"Let's play, Legendary Titan of Intelligence, Timaeus!"_

 _"Show your spirit, Legendary Titan of Resolve, Hermos!"_

Just as they finished, Cathy fidgeting a little with her Titans, they passed through the edge of the forest... which opened into this vast open area, looking almost dark + red with the Blood Spirals around, and still two hundred feet to go before they reached them.

Den slowly sighed. "Please tell me there's another way than just walking up to them in broad daylight."

"I _wish_ " Lok breathed, but with sympathy. "Still, apparently they're expecting us... just remember, if things start to look bad, summon then, not later; we may need them."

Lok was the first to walk forward then, Sophie following after a moment - then Eathon put a hand on Cathy's shoulder, and they walked on together. He shared a look with Zhalia and Cherit, then joined them.

Good news, the massed Blood Spirals didn't attack them on sight as they walked closer, though they were clearly itching to.

Bad news, Shauna, Wind, Kiel (The Betrayer?), and The Professor + Behemoth, Tao, and Araknos were all there, and their own Legendary Titans would take a little time to get there.

* * *

They slowed about fifteen feet away, completely out in the open, the distant volcano beginning to billow smoke from the tension in the air... could be a problem later, with all the energy bound to erupt from this battle. Sophie also quickly noticed the rapidly-spinning blood red energy behind the soldiers, guarded fairly well (a little _too_ well, because The Professor was nearby, for now), but whatever it was doing was obscured.

Sure, not suspicious at all-

-Wind made a subtle movement, eyes-only, that suggested he'd seen where she was glancing, and knew of it's significance... gonna have to watch him. Then again, Sophie had also seen Zhalia catch this, so perhaps that was already taken care of.

 _"Well, here we are again"_ The Betrayer's voice came from Kiel, who's mouth hadn't moved from it's characteristic grin, but still magnified. _"The heroes', traitors included."_

Wow, he was still on about that? He'll probably never get it then; she still remembered laughing when Den told her about it, and Harrison's reaction.

But now was not the time: "We're not letting you summon the Nullifiers, Betrayer" Sophie told him, stepping forward. "As the descendant of Lord Casterwill, I won't allow it."

Lok stepped up beside her, "None of us will."

The reaction was amused, more than anything - Kiel just grinned again, though the voice continued to emanate from around him. _"Ah yes, just like before-"_

"I don't have time for long speeches" The Professor said brusquely, stepping forward, even as the interruption enraged Shauna (The Betrayer's motion stopped her), and surprised all of them with the abrupt statement. "I've waited long enough, and soon all obstacles in my way will be destroyed!" he continued, Behemoth, Tao and Araknos gathering around him - then suddenly, Nordrake and Dominator landed beside him.

Whatever he might have said after that, it was lost in the crash behind them; Hermos, shaking her head a little as she pawed at the ground. Part of the lower snout armor looked to be in mid-repair, and clearly the horse wasn't happy about it, snorting angrily - Den barely reacted, but a slight change of expression said he'd felt this. Beside Den, Cathy was quite surprised, staying close to Eathon, even as Cherit slowly got serious. And Sophie's instincts told her they had further incoming-

"Sorry, Professor" Den said, pulling out an amulet (as they all did). "That's not gonna happen."

The Professor snarled; "Boy, you're gonna regret this" he said, but it was enough for Araknos to step forward. Without preamble, he shoot orange strands from his mouth, arching up and over them... they hit Hermos' forehead armor, rebounding slightly. At that same second, Hermos seized the strands between her teeth. The two Titans strained at the makeshift tug-of-war, the stalemate enraging The Professor. Sophie meanwhile was relieved, but worried about the gap in her armor...

"You were saying?" Den mocked.

Before The Professor could respond (though he tried), a crash behind them interrupted again, and Critas trumpeted her arrival. Araknos tried to turn, to get out of the struggle, but Hermos didn't let him go, dragging the spider through inches of ground.

"We've had some upgrades" Zhalia said mildly.

To prove her point, another burst of light came onto the scene, via the chittering sounds of Timaeus.

"Indeed" Sophie noted shortly, still put-off but getting ready - she'd expected a lot more build-up than this, but honestly, perhaps this was better. _"Be wary of Tao; he's intimately familiar with most tactics, so you'll need to get creative"_ she thought to Timaeus. _"And you'll need to avoid his energy blasts."_

Tao moved, and they got ready-

A massive blast of wind struck, with enough force to push him backward. They all glanced up, seeing Solwing circling before he landed on the arm of his owner, who was flanked by most everyone else from the Huntik Beachhead (who looked/moved worn, but still had energy)

"Are we late?" Dante asked graciously-

-The Betrayer must have been expecting it, because he reacted immediately, barely phased: _"Attack."_

The single command was enough for the Blood Spiral soldiers; they all ran forward with cries, both simple yelling and Seeker commands. They all tensed, quickly summoning in a mass she couldn't fully make out, but to their surprise every single soldier just sailed over/around them; they were going toward Dante and the others! Wait, they were just gonna let them duke it out one-on-one!?

Why!?

Then a shadow fell over her, Tao coming straight at them- Timaeus fly-tackled him, sending them both thrashing before they recovered in mid-air - Tao tried to blast Timaeus, who disappeared inter-dimensionally, but Tao grabbed him from behind when he reappeared. At the same time, the shaking ground told her Behemoth was charging forward, even as Hermos moved at the edge of her vision, dragging Araknos with her. Sophie recognized this as Den and Zhalia trying to divide them, but Nordrake and Dominator didn't take the bait - then Lindorm slammed into both of them, biting down on Dominator as Thoughtspectre's energy faded. Lok jumped away from her, soon to be joined by his family-

This and a lot more happened at once, including her instinctive calling for Sabriel and Sorcerel-

 _"Shadowlock!"_

Moving out of pure instinct, Sophie ducked down as far as she could go; it barely missed above her. She scrambled away even as the purple shadow limb made a last-ditch effort to reach her, before sinking back into the ground. Valuable lesson learned; they were restricted to very short-range, which she'd long suspected but hadn't proven till now. Then she just glared ahead of her-

-Kiel just grinned, suddenly the only one nearby, though fighting permeated the air around them. _"Let's go, Casterwill"_ he invited. _"I've been longing to crush your line for awhile now."_

She growled a little, then shook her head; don't let the anger control you, but work for you instead.

 _"Kindlestrike!"_

 _"Auraforce!"_ he called, the purple force wave disrupting Kindlestrike before it hit - she had to roll away to get away from the aftereffects, but still she noted his actually blocking her attacks this time around.

 _"Let's see then about my theory, and if my training has payed off"_ she thought, before: _"Thoughtspectre!"_

Sophie didn't feel herself disappear, but when she looked at where she should be, there was nothing but ground. Kiel kept the grin, but otherwise kept his senses open as he moved a few steps away. She could hear each individual battle, particularly Timaeus using his Sonic Screech to throw off Tao's grip, before there was a crash. Through her vision, Timaeus disappeared through dimensional space, but Tao saw his attack coming and backhanded him - Timaeus fought off the shock/pain and bit into Tao's arm. The Titan writhed, before trying to use it's other arm to bash his snout; Timaeus literally slipped right past him, before smacking Tao in the face with his tail.

However, Tao also fought through the impact, and blasted Timaeus into a rock column. Tao floated up near it, only for Timaeus to attack him from the opposite direction, in the exact same manner regular dolphin's used to kill sharks.

That had to leave a mark, even as Tao threw Timaeus off with an energy aura.

Just a little more...

 _"Raypulse!"_

Kiel turned; _"Stormshield!"_ he called, deflecting the blast before it faded... then he grunted as another Raypulse hit him in the back, while the other version of her faded away entirely. Where he'd been struck, he smoked slightly, and the exposed section of Kiel's outfit was slightly blackened.

She hummed, satisfied. "You _can_ be hurt now" she said with satisfaction. "Can't just rise again and again anymore; must be the trade-off for using Kiel as your vessel!"

Kiel turned around, still grinning as per norm. _"Just as intelligent as your ancestor, figuring it out that quickly"_ he said, approving, yet also mocking. _"It'll make it all the sweeter when I end your line."_

Then: _"Doublespell! Shocklash!"_

The moment Sophie heard that, she moved as fast as she could... and not a moment too soon, because the first one severely cracked the ground she'd been standing on! On her knee, she gasped when Kiel had moved faster than she'd expected, the second Shocklash still ready to go! She moved as quickly as her instincts allowed, but the heat still washed over her-

Somehow or another, the heat was diverted from her, and she was able to roll away relatively unscathed. When she turned around, Sabriel and Sorcerel stood/floated there, a Triple Truth Shield holding the Shocklash back - she smirked, quickly getting up.

"Well, until that happens, it's between you and me, Betrayer" she said, quite seriously. _"Nimblefire!"_

 _/_

 _"Shadowspeed!"_

Zhalia reacted quickly, just barely meeting Shauna's fists head-on, the force sending her skidding until they came to a stop, struggling against each other. This was one of the few things she could immediately make out in the large-scale battle.

Shauna just laughed, with that savage, perverse pleasure she got out of this. "You have no idea what's coming for you" she breathed low.

"Yeah? Well give it your best shot" she said mildly, until that last part. _"Poisonfang!"_

Shauna barely dodged under that, but that was enough for them to separate, and they took a moment to regard each other. However, she saw a problem; Behemoth was coming straight at them, each step rocking the ground... however, Critas charged straight past her, before proceeding to sweep her tasks against Behemoth's side, knocking him sideways. The hippo recoiled, then drew back and punched her straight on the skull - the blow cracked the ground below them (or maybe that was the intensity of the battle), but Critas retaliated with an equal blow, then used her tusks to push Behemoth.

 _"Raypulse! - Nullcurse!"_

Just as Zhalia caught a punch, an instinct came over her; wow, that was fast.

 _"Lernaean Hydra, use your poison, but help out Critas after that"_ she thought, dodging several other punches and a low sweep.

 _"Rippleburst!"_

 _"Stormshield!"_ she threw up, but skidded backward from the force... luckily though, Shauna was forced to abandon the attack, having to dodge several hissing poison globs. _"Hyperstride!"_ Zhalia called, just barely able to shoulder-tackle Shauna (who recovered), but she didn't let up: _"Raypulse!"_

 _"Fireport!"_

Damn it...

At the same time, Behemoth tried to swat Lernaean Hydra, who slithered across his body and remained out of reach despite his size. This opening allowed Critas to smack Behemonth with her trunk, Lernaean Hydra getting off before impact - then Behemoth stepped back, reaching behind his back. Critas trumpeted her charge, but Behemoth swung the giant globe with surprising speed. Critas barely had a moment to react-

SMASH!

The impact shook the area, Behemoth's globe straining against the 'limited invincibility' shield, but Critas was losing ground (and covered in indirect impact wounds). However, roaring, she put all her strength into the push, and threw the globe upward - at that same moment, Lernaean Hydra shot the wrappings with poison. In seconds several had come underdone, and the globe slipped out, landing with a crash, then rolling around like some bizarre giant bowling ball. Behemoth tried to go after it, but a charging Critas (and a wrapped Lernaean Hydra biting what it could reach) kept him occupied. Critas gave an elephantine grunt when Behemoth's tusks hit her skin, but Zhalia didn't feel it break, and the two of them struggled against each other.

Meanwhile: _"Cutrace!"_

Zhalia reacted instantly: _"Mindsight!"_

In that split-second Shauna came straight at her, she saw what she intended to do; move to the left, then made a sudden right-handed strike at her chest. She waited, then _"Touchram!"_

Even as she spoke it, Shauna did as she saw, move left, then twist right-

-but instead she ran past her right side, rather than strike.

"What-?" Zhalia breathed, before trying to twist-

 _"Hexkill!"_

The spell struck her in the back, sending her stumbling before she twisted around; Mindsight was dissolved upon impact.

"Not bad at all" Zhalia acknowledged, even as in the background, Behemoth nearly had Critas in a headlock - Lernaean Hydra soon bit his leg with all nine heads, and as a bonus, Critas sheathing her tusks sent him off-balance.

Shauna grinned; "Your spell is limited to what it can see in the conscious mind" she taunted, cracking her knuckles. _"Newfury!"_

At the exact same time, Lilith the Queen landed behind Shauna, screeching at the prospect of new blood. Zhalia had to back up quickly, glancing between her two opponents; by herself, not good. Then Lernaean Hydra skidded across the ground directly beside her, it's wounds testifying to a series of offhand blows from Behemoth - all nine heads hissed as it struggled to it's 'feet', taking in the two opponents before. She would welcome the help, but knew she'd need more, if they'd decide to show up-

 _Crash_

Gar-Ghoul drew his wings back in, growling with the sound of rattling sounds.

 _"Well that's convenient"_ she thought, but not complaining, already outlining rough plans to both of them in her head. Now then: _"Thoughtspectre!"_

"Not that easily" Shauna growled. _"Firestorm!"_

/

"Damn it!" Den cursed, Araknos being harder to hold onto than he'd thought - and that was while he was Cindercloaked with Vigilante!

Araknos continued to hiss, throwing himself around every which way, trying to get them off it's back; Den just managed to hang on, but his grip was slipping! Almost in response, Vigilante moved his arm and sank the dagger into Araknos' back, just under the arm joint, sending violent spasms throughout the Legendary Titan. Meanwhile, Hermos _still_ had Araknos' strands between her teeth, the two of them in a bizarrely serious tug-of-war, each trying to pull the other off their feet. Still, Araknos had surprising strength to hold out, and neither would give in.

Den wished he had Tyrannos with him now, because one good hit would help send it to the ground... but he dared not. The dinosaur was strong, but slow, and he couldn't hold out well against Araknos + mind-controlling strands! Soon he had help though; Dullahan just landed, and began breathing fire from it's shield. Den figured since the Titan didn't have a living body to infect, Araknos couldn't turn him. Also, the others had told him that fire really worked against the strands, and he'd need the help.

Boy was he wrong on that first part.

Just as Dullahan stepped forward (to shoot the flaming stream), Araknos managed a single sideways strand. Not long after that, Den nearly lost his grip when Dullahan jumped onto Araknos' back, about to hit _him_ with his mace-

-then something sharp sailed through the air, severing the connection, where Dullahan staggered a bit - Araknos quickly turned to face the new threat, which sorta turned them as well to see who-

Make that 'what'; he recognized that Jericho!

"Need a little help, Den?"

"Harrison!" Den called out, relieved, before deciding to jump off with Dullahan. "Glad you could make it!"

"Anytime!" his brother called, Jericho carrying it's two bony protrusions, ready for more use.

They all jumped back from Araknos' attempt to slice them, his still-there strands pulling at the side of his mouth as Hermos kept up the pressure. Dullahan stayed at range behind the spider now, trying to use fire to disrupt it's footing.

"What's up with the Titan drool, bro?" Harrison asked, at the ready.

"Short and sweet, those strands mind-control Titans, so beware" he said quickly, Vigilante breaking off it's Cinder Cloak ability for now.

"Got it."

 _"Shadowbind!"_ Den called, going for it's arms and it's eyes; both only partly-succeeded, as the Legendary Titan kept breaking them.

In his sideways vision, Harrison had a thoughtful look at him using his spell, but just grinned as he joined in. _"Shadowbind!"_

Araknos struggled even more, half-blinded - at the same time, Jericho and Vigilante took their turns hitting the Legendary Titan from all sides, though Araknos sent them both flying with a backhand blow (that hurt, badly). However, just when it seemed like the struggle was tipping, an un-shouted spell ripped into the bindings (causing both of them to grunt at the feedback), and the shock-waves pushed their Titans back. Immediately taking advantage, Araknos threw all his strength into the tug-of-war... and he managed to win by a sudden jerk, the sudden show of strength sending Hermos to the ground. The horse had trouble getting up from all fours, even as the spider sucked up his strands with relief, while they saw who had interfered with them.

"Wind" Den grunted; great.

However, Araknos cast his strands again, quickly drawing his attention-

"No!"

Hermos struggled in place, the strands connected directly to the small space where armor was still re-forming.

Den quickly (and instinctively) had to force his brother back, Dullahan hesitating from his reactions. "This is bad, this is really bad!" he said, instinctively feeling a mix of impending terror and anguish, especially in part that he'd indirectly caused that last part, having broken Hermos' armor there during their fight!

"Den, maybe not!" Harrison said quickly. "Look!"

He looked; he saw (and felt) Hermos shaking, despite doing what Araknos was telling her to do...

At the moment, Wind seemed at the ready, but waiting for Hermos before he made a move; Hermos just pawed the ground, aimed straight at them. Then she broke into a run, getting faster in stages, but soon the ground was literally shaking from a large armored horse coming straight at them-

They both tensed, ready to get out of the way if need be.

Den held out though, cursing himself for doubting the Titan; he can't give up that easily. To make up for it, he showed his own resolve through their link, ready to stay where he was, unless he was utterly certain she would trample them no matter what-

Literally seconds away from doing that, something shifted in the horse's eyes...

-then in mid-charge, Hermos swung her head straight into Araknos.

The spider hit the cliffside, shattering rocks with enough force to dispel the strands, and kick up a heavy cloud of dust - Hermos skidded to a halt, legs shaking.

"Alright!" Harrison crowed. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Den was just as impressed, but he knew the other side of the story; Hermos was unsteady on her hooves, and mentally, the horse had expended a lot of effort just to resist in those few moments. She could handle Araknos, barely, but not for long...

 _"No, not long"_ he thought then, determined. _"But as long as possible; that's what resolve is about."_

With his resolve 'restored', he directed Dullahan to blast the rocks-

Just as he gave that thought, Wind came straight at them - at the same time, thanks to his mental bond, Den saw Shakrit harassing Vigilante and Jericho. Not good on that last part; they were heavily outmatched against that Titan, even two-on-one! And they still had Araknos to contend with, once he dug himself out! By the very end of that bond vision, he'd dodged a Thundercut, but Wind kept up on him as he moved.

 _"Bladewave!"_

Den and Wind both ducked, but immediately after they did, he used Harrison's move to ram himself into Wind's gut. They struggled together until he heard _"Ropetrick!"_ , which ended up tying around Wind's leg, pulling him out and away from him. "Nice one, bro" Den called, quickly getting up, even as Wind disappeared in a fiery burst that destroyed the ropes. He just began to see this little red burst appearing-

 _"Raypulse!"_ he called.

His aim was true, but his timing was off, so he only half-hit.

"Buy me three seconds" Den said quickly, right before Harrison nodded, moving in with Cutrace. He glanced back at the ongoing Titan battles - Hermos was literally running circles around Araknos, trying to keep the spider occupied while avoiding his strands, getting in the occasional hit while she could. Jericho and Vigilante did what they could on Shakrit's back, while getting indirect ground-to-air fire blasts from Dullahan - Den knew the latter one wouldn't last, all things considered, because the former two had already been hit by Araknos (who while not the 'brute' of the three, was souped-up with energy). They were gonna need help to end this, and now wasn't the time to be cautious.

 _"Hunt them down, Tyrannos and Kaioh the Tracker!"_

Sure wish they would come instantly though... but anyway, after a spell narrowly missed his shoulder, Den turned back to Wind, who was using Fireswarm against his brother.

 _"Hyperstride!"_ he called, jumping into the fray, throwing off Wind's arm. Then, together with his brother: _"Raypulse! - Nullcurse!"_

Wind grunted as he was struck, skidding backward. "Damn it..."

Den paused, not even sure he heard that right, then he glanced at his brother. "Did he ever-?"

"No" Harrison answered low, with utter conviction; good enough for him.

"Who are you!?" Den demanded.

Wind looked at them... then his form dissolved, and in it's place, another man stood. Murdock just grinned, "Sorry to disappoint you, boys" he said, before holding up his hand. _"Formstaff!"_ he called, it coming to him, then: _"Shockgrip!"_

With heavy deja vu, Den pushed his brother out of the way, not wanting to test Armorbrand against a spell like that, not yet!

But all the while, his mind whirled: if that hadn't been Wind, then where the hell was he!?

 _/_

 _" _Dragonfist!"__

The Nightlurker went sprawling, right into the grip of Metagolem, who picked him up and threw in the opposite direction, right into several of the enemies Titans. Quickly, Dante looked at the overall battle via Solwing, while Caliban protected his flanks alongside Metagolem (without prompting). He saw various blurbs, each lasting little more than a second as Solwing's vision moved: first it was Lucas, Sunlocking several Silent Soldiers while Feyone and Seraphim blasted others behind him, taking hits in return; Viviane, along with her two bodyguards, used Bubbleshot on a large Bazela Hize, trying to take it down – Mythras, an Icarus, Palamedes and Pellinore kept the smaller Bazela Insect Titans off their backs best they could; LeBlanche and Santiago were close to him, clearing paths and throwing off the soldiers' + Titans attack patterns, helped by Ignatius. There was even a vision of 'Eathon', who barked his two Undergolem's to bash in several Psikofen's.

He started to see a snippet of Scarlet as well, flanked by Montehue and Tersly, before he turned off Solwing's vision, turning to meet Sandra. "You okay?" he asked quickly.

She nodded, some soot on her cheek, but she didn't care. "I may be semi-retired now, but I can handle myself" she said, before intently: "Tell me though; where are Lok and Cathy, and Eathon? Did you see them?"

Dante didn't need to think what this meant; she'd be going with/without his opinion of the matter, and now wasn't a time for arguing. "That way, though it was minutes ago" he merely said, and she gave him a grateful look before running off with Hyperstride.

He watched for a moment, before Caliban landed just before him; luring several Titans straight to the two of them.

"How nice of you to share" he said mildly, before cracking his knuckles. "Well, we'll get them, but first, Cherit!"

"Yes, Dante!"

"Go with Sandra, and do what you can to help out Lok and Cathy; they may need you, and you've done wonderfully here."

"You got it!"

He smiled, Caliban already ready. "Let's go then" he said easily. _"_ _Nimblefire!_ _"_

 _/_

"Lindorm, Rolling Charge!"

Dominator met the attack head-on with it's spiked fists, skidding across the ground, before the Titan threw Lindorm to the side with a growl. He attempted to go after Lindorm, but was waylaid by Baselaird - and good thing too; Lok knew all about Dominator's ability to revert Titans back to their primal instincts, and that was the _last_ thing Lindorm needed. At the same time, Nordrake and Leviathan faced off ice-against-ice, evenly matched at first impression... however, just as the stream finished, Shadow used that as cover for a slicing cut across Nordrake's wing. The dragon roared as it wobbled (but stayed fit to fly), searching for the opponent, but he'd already moved under cover. The ice dragon tried to go after him, but Leviathan soon wrapped around him in mid-air, bringing him down, trading head, claw, and bite blows.

It was a hell of a fight, and this was just the initial Titans involved; probably more on the way.

 _"Rippleburst!"_

Lok had to fly low just to get under that, and yes he did mean fly; he was attached to Kipperin at the moment! Still, Kipperin managed to turn the dive into a circling run, where he readied the Willblade; _"Overslam!"_ he called, swinging the sword. At much the same time, he heard _"Raypulse! - Augerfrost!"_

 _"Armorbrand!"_ The Professor used, blocking all three and forcing him to wing off; damn! "Is that the best you three have got!?" he demanded. "I would have thought the famous Eathon Lambert and his family were capable of so much more! _Skingrip!_ "

By sheer instinct, he and dad got out of the way in time; Cathy wasn't so experienced with this spell, and nearly panicked when it began to encircle her.

"Cath!"

 _"Enderflame!"_

Before the flames got there, Ironsquire landed directly in front of Cathy, buffering the attack as it kept an eye on his Seeker. Meanwhile, trying to ignore the heat, he and dad got in and started cutting up the Skingrip, much to the shaking relief of them all. "Oh, thank you" Cathy breathed, quickly giving him a hug, which they returned. Before she could say anything else though, Solar and Lunar landed behind them as well... as did Raijin.

Lok smiled a little. "Raijin, go help Baselaird and Lindorm" he said, before looking at his sister. "Remember, Cathy-"

"Indirect support?" she asked faintly, panting, to which he nodded. "O-Of course."

Then he stood up, where Enderflame had ended a little while ago, but Rippleburst nearly sent them all to the ground. "Ready, dad?" he asked, determined as he floated up higher, using Kipperin's wings.

His dad was grimly determined too. "Always, son. _Hyperstride!_ "

 _" _Overslam!"__

At the same time, Leviathan struggled as Nordrake slammed him into the ground – but just as the flying dragon came at him, Cathy's Augerfrost hit his head, causing the dragon to hiss. Then Leviathan jumped up and bit him on the neck, both roaring in the process, before Nordrake breathed ice at point-blank rage. Leviathan struggled as his head was encased in ice, but solved it by head-butting Nordrake. On the other side of battle, Baselaird weathered several strikes from Dominator, but a fourth broke open his guard and sent him to the ground. Dominator moved to strike him again, but lightning strikes threw off his arm, then Lindorm swirled in and sent him to the side, before whirling around for another strike. Raijin moved to keep him occupied while Baselaird got back up, slashing across Dominator's chest-

 _"Stormshield!"_

"Gah!" Lok cried out, rolling across the ground; Kipperin returned from the reflected blow, taking it for him. He was quickly helped up by dad, while The Professor tried to blast Shadow with Rippleburst (for slicing him the exact instant after his previous spell) - the Titan was clipped by it, but managed to retreat into the shadows, literally. Lok was only vaguely aware that he no longer held the Willblade, but that could wait. He was also really glad everyone else had separated the Legendary Titans from The Professor... still a tough one.

 _"Everfight"_ Lok breathed, straightening up - beside him, dad threw a Kindlestrike at The Professor.

 _"Boltflare!"_

Lok tensed, but to his surprise, he didn't even have to dodge; the spell sailed over their heads with inches to spare. The Professor himself pretty much growled, even as he clawed at his own face. Breathing heavily, he glanced at dad, wondering; one missed spell out of dozens. Was he already that badly afflicted by the curse, or was it just beginning?

Dad's expression didn't hint either way.

Then Lok grunted; Raijin had just returned to him, while another light above his head returned to The Professor. Trusting his dad, he glanced behind him – Baselaird and Lindorm were still standing, the former exhausted, but Dominator had returned. Leviathan and Nordrake were still duking it out-

-until a Stoneblade sliced into the dragon from below. Nordrake swerved off-course, while Leviathan took this moment to rest, sparing a glance to their new entry.

"Grier!" Lok called, relieved.

"Hope you didn't start without me" the other man called, stopping right beside Cathy (who glanced at them, but he nodded to say 'friend'). Even as he finished, Cathy's Ironsquire landed in front of her, quickly taking a defensive position from a deflected Augerfrost.

"Sorry, couldn't be helped" Lok called back, before thinking to his Titans (Dad used a Raypulse to keep The Professor distracted again): _"Lindorm, help keep Nordrake on the ground – when you're done, come help if you're able. Baselaird, with me!"_

"Ah, the traitor! _Skingrip!_ "

Cathy freaked and backed up quickly as the tendrils formed near her feet (to get Grier), but Grier escaped with Hyperstride, while Ironsquire grabbed her and jumped away.

Relieved, Lok called to Cathy, "Help out Lindorm, okay!"

"G- *cough* Got it, bro!"

After that, Grier landed on dad's other side, the latter accepting this with a nod. Baselaird joined them very quickly, then a crash showed Breaker deciding to join them, growling at the sight of The Professor.

 _"Here we go"_ Lok thought, wearily at the ready. _"Bladecall!"_ he called out, the Willblade reappearing in his hands.

Just then however, the ground began to shake, as if with an earthquake! Lok barely kept his balance for a few seconds, before falling over with a 'Wah!' Dad and Grier had the same issue, their Titans included in that! The volcano in the distance exploded, while the ground around them started slowly turning pure black, even cracking in spots, or he hoped those _were_ just cracks. The only one who seemed unaffected, was The Professor (grinning psychotically) looking at something behind him-

-Lok quickly looked there too.

The red swirling energy they'd seen earlier; it was at full power! The air twisted and carved in on itself repeatedly, much like a Nexual spell, but far worse. And the disturbance was very large, as big as a building at first glance, growing bit-by-bit slowly. He barely noticed while focused on this thing, but the red energy faded away to reveal it's wielder below; Wind himself.

Dimensional space itself ripped open.

This hideously guttural sound seared through them, making them all yell – except for The Professor, who was laughing!

The gap itself twisted endlessly, both trying to right itself, and as if something was keeping it from doing so...

Something shot through the gap, slamming into the ground.

The impact sent him flying backward, where he was suddenly stopped by Breaker, with his dad on the other side (Grier was helping him stand, with Breaker's help), before Baselaird managed to stop himself in front of them. Lok didn't know where Cathy was, but he hoped that she was safe(r) because she was farther away! But he was only vaguely aware of this once he noticed the gap again-

-the thing was an arm, and literally as thick as a large house. It wasn't solid by itself, seemingly composed of storm clouds, colored dark orange + brown while lightning swirled around it randomly. Then another three-fingered claw groped at the dimensional gap, trying to force open the boundary even further... and eventually it succeeded, barely forcing it's face through with a growl that could heard across the battlefield. And still it continued to force itself through the gap, it's form horrifyingly clear, even as Titans the battlefield over had instinctive reactions.

A stab of fear ran through Lok.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Well, just like 'Destruction', saying things have just gotten real doesn't accurately encompass this whatsoever. Especially with the appearance of 'that'**

 **Stay tuned.**


	24. Bloodshed

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The Huntik Team observe the mass of Blood Spirals, knowing they are outnumbered, but press onward regardless. They are soon joined by Dante Vale and the others, who are beset by the vast numbers of Blood Spiral soldiers, leaving the Huntik Team to face the Blood Spiral elite and The Professor on their own. Fierce battles commence, but in the confusion, massive energy rips open a hole in the dimensional space... marking the return of Lord Casterwill's sworn enemy.**

* * *

 _"Bloodshed"_

 _Episode 76_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

 _" _Shieldbreaker!"__

 _" _Enderflame!"__

The spell – one of Kiel's – broke through her own, and forced Sophie to sidestep. The heat made her feel like she'd been roasted, and she wasn't keen to repeat the experience. Panting slightly, she looked at Kiel, who just continued to grin, the way he usually did. It made her fist clench; if only she could use Dragonfist to wipe that smirk off. Still, in the back of her mind, she could feel Sabriel and Sorcerel recovering behind her; they'd taken a number of hits, but they weren't out just yet.

 _"We could take him down, eventually – but we can't afford any mistakes. It's too risky"_ she thought.

 _"Met your match, Casterwill?"_

Sophie merely smirked, straightening up, even as her hand carefully moved behind her waist. "Possibly, but you'll have to do better than _that_ to qualify" she answered, before: _"Hyperstride!"_

 _"Stormflare!"_

She managed (barely) to avoid that by twisting in mid-air, and Kiel got ready as she rushed forward through the air... then landed directly behind him.

 _"What-?"_ he started to say, before she clamped her hands over his head.

 _"Clatterbang!"_

Kiel groaned as he staggered to the side, unable to concentrate on anything, including his hearing; good. For good measure, Sabriel and Sorcerel both blasted him away from her, before quickly guarding her in case he tried something.

 _"Rise"_ Sophie called, holding up her ring, _"Legendary Titan of Rebirth, Phoenix!"_

Of course, she didn't come right away, but when Kiel recovered, he didn't seem to be aware of this – and she gave off no hints of it either, fiercely at the ready where she stood.

Before she could be sure though, the ground began to shake, as if in the middle of an earthquake! She cried out, sliding down while the ground beside her rose up a foot, and she was horrified to see the ground blackening around her. Kiel's laughter drew her attention, who she was disgruntled to see was perfectly fine, as if he'd expected this. "What's so funny!?" Sophie called, jumping up to get closer; she had to just to hear over the roar of this quake. Sabriel took Sorcerel's hand, helping her float off the ground, just enough to keep within range of their Seeker.

 _"Your doom is at hand"_ Kiel merely said, grinning.

Then Sophie staggered as this harsh sound ripped through the air, centered somewhere to her left; instinctively she looked in that direction, but never once letting her guard down sense-wise. Her first impression was that of the overall battle; friends and foes alike were scattered, particularly in the mass of Huntik, Casterwill, and Blood Spirals, Titans included. Everyone seemed to have been thrown by this unexpected shaking, and the fighting had temporarily stopped as they tried to figure out what was going on. She saw though; red energy was tearing open the dimensional boundary, in the style of a Nexual spell for added insult!

The source was that same red swirling mass they'd observed earlier!

 _"We knew you'd try to get to him first"_ Kiel said, and she tensed, but he remained where he stood (even if it had been raised five feet now). _"Our job was merely to keep you occupied, and we've succeeded."_

"Yeah, and who's him!?" Sophie demanded, but not expecting an answer - she didn't get one either, unless you counted the usual grin.

Wait, she hadn't seen Murdock beforehand... was it him!?

Then something powerful blasted the area on her left, and she quickly turned again, only to freeze at what she was seeing. The dimensional boundary had been forced open, allowing something huge to come through-

"I-Is that-?" she said, feeling her pulse in her throat, fear included.

 _"It is, Casterwill; behold, the Nullifiers have returned."_

Just then, her instincts kicked in, and Sophie barely looked up in time; Tao flew past her, heavily scratched up and seeming to be limping (if you could limp while in flight). He blasted behind him with both hands, but not slowing as he did so, heading straight toward the breach. Timaeus appeared beside her, chittering several times, damaged + bruised but not out-of-it either. His mental state was confused at Tao's fleeing... and _extremely_ agitated by the appearance of the Nullifier. So much so that she got several glimpses at attempted imagery, involving him attacking this thing-

Kiel grunted at the sight of the retreating Tao. _"And so the betrayal begins"_ he said, not particularly surprised. _"Not that it will matter."_

Sophie didn't fully understand, but she stood up, feeling a desperate desire to do _something_ about this! Because of this, she briefly missed the incoming instinct (and Sabriel/Sorcerel's reactions), until the 'crash' alerted her.

"Phoenix!" she called, relieved.

Just then, Sophie realized the Titan had grown even larger; several inches at least, in both height and wingspan. Moreover, the linings of every single feather were flickering slightly, between the colors red, orange and gold. Armor also covered sections of her legs, torso, and even small ridiculously-hard-to-spot sections just above the eyes, also flickering in color yet remaining golden for the most part. Phoenix herself roared, the wings flickering even more intensely than before, and she could feel actual heat from here.

She felt proud, before Phoenix's bond came over – first she got the same impression from Timaeus; Phoenix was agitated (even furious) about the Nullifier appearing; the 500 year war had left them with strong memories about their kind.

Then her instincts sent her turning immediately-

-Araknos landed ten feet in front of her, Murdock on it's back – Araknos hissed something at the sight of her, while Murdock cast a spell behind them, then they quickly jumped far away. Sophie barely had a moment to wonder before she noted Hermos chasing after him, and behind them at slightly-slower speed, Tyrannos raced after Hermos, Den, Harrison, Kaioh, and Jericho hanging onto his back as best they could.

"What's going on?" she called to him, cupping her hands to magnify it (she felt Phoenix throw up a firewall to shield her from Kiel, Sabriel + Sorcerel adding their Triple Truth Shield just in case). At her call, Den must have ordered Tyrannos to slow, because he did so with a skidding motion, and the two boys could be within earshot.

"Sophie!" Den called out, partly out of recognition. "We were attacked by Murdock, who was pretending to be Wind! We were still fighting when _that thing_ (he pointed toward the Nullifier) suddenly showed up, and everything went crazy!"

"Then Araknos bailed on us, and Murdock hitched a ride. We were chasing him, but do you need any help here?" Harrison asked after that.

"And is that thing what I think it is, while we're at it!?"

Sophie glanced behind her at the wall of flames, then toward the Nullifier...

Every beat of her heart seemed slow, despite how fast it must be going, and she desperately felt an urge to run – only fear, but damn annoying.

"No, I'll be fine here, and I can lure The Betrayer over toward Dante and the others if need be!" she said quickly. "We can delay with the best of them, but our main priority is to stop those Nullifiers from getting through! If they do, it'd be the beginning of the end!"

"We're on it then!"

 _"Sabriel, Sorcerel, go with them"_ she thought, having a plan. _"Lok will need all the help he can get."_

Even as Tyrannos started moving again, the two brothers, their Titans and her two Titans in tow, Sophie was getting angry – this coincided with the firewall being destroyed, Phoenix and Timaeus on either side of her, their red + blue energies complimenting each other nicely. She had no reason to suspect he could withstand all of their energy by himself, but she wasn't gonna take chances.

"Listen here, Betrayer, I am the leader of the Casterwill family!" she called, pulling out three amulets. "My ancestor defeated the Nullifiers, and I will do the same, even if it takes centuries! But I'll start by destroying you! _Let's go, Feyone, Icarus, and Kelpie!_ "

/

 _"Fireport!"_

 _"Shadowspeed!"_

Just as Shauna rematerialized, Zhalia landed and kicked her in the head, Shauna barely managing to raise a Venomhand to partially block – ahead of them, Behemoth didn't even notice as he ran forward single-mindedly, but Critas was in hot pursuit (Lernaean Hydra and Gar-Ghoul on her back, trying to use poison and ice to slow the hippo down); thus far the two of them had been fighting while following on foot. "If you think I'm letting either of you go that easily, you're mistaken!" Zhalia called out.

She wasn't quite as confident as she sounded; that was a damn Nullifier hundreds of feet away from them.

Shauna got back up, and Zhalia thought she saw an open wound – very briefly, but still. "And even if you defeat me, what then?" she taunted, gesturing behind her. "Even one Nullifier is more than a match for you" she sneered, before lifting a hand. "Even _Void_ would be if he let loose!"

Her signature Darkwave was flung at her, non-verbally.

 _"Hyperstride!"_ Zhalia called, sailing up and toward Shauna, who merely grinned and ran forward (toward the Nullifier) with Cutrace. "Okay" Zhalia breathed, before moving both hands in mid-air: _"Doublespell! Bristlevine!"_

Shauna managed to avoid the one that tried to ensnare, but she had a little trouble with the second one, because she set it up ahead of her.

 _"Featherdrop"_ she said quickly, quietly, landing quickly. _"Darkessence!"_

Shauna cursed and cut through the vines with numerous non-verbal Nullcurses, until-

-Zhalia suddenly appeared directly in front of her, her fist glowing as she drew it back.

 _Bam_

Shauna went flying several feet, and Zhalia shook her hand several times before advancing... when just as suddenly, something slammed her in the back, and her face hit the ground. She spat the dirt out, getting her to her feet as quickly as possible, but when she did, Shauna was gone. She quickly glanced up, and saw the silhouette of two figures vanishing into the air.

Zhalia cursed a little, holding her arm. "So Wind, your concern for your partner made you cut in" she said, disgruntled. "Typical."

Despite the fact that she was medium-exhausted though, and that she'd given Shauna a run for her money, that was still way too easy, and it didn't strike her right whatsoever. More than likely though, her sudden sock to the face hadn't knocked Shauna out, just winded her. So the woman was probably cursing Wind out for a lack of good judgment - that seemed likely, but can't be too careful. Still, Zhalia noted the direction he'd been aimed at; right toward the Nullifier, of course, so still had a chance of payback.

She grunted, before running forward to catch up with Critas: _"Shadowspeed!"_

It didn't escape her notice however, then when she'd seen Shauna's face, she'd reacted out of instinct. Somehow or other, she'd not only used Dragonfist (or another variant)... but she'd done it without speaking. Granted, they'd all done that in moments of instinct, but she was no longer sure that was the case here...

/

Lok backed up quickly, even as the Nullifier strained to fit itself through the torn dimensional gap. "No way!"

"Ahhh! What is that thing!?"

He felt like saying 'bad news', but that wouldn't cut it, and the official story (even abridged) would take too long! Not to mention the fact that Cath must be have having the living daylights scared out of her! Even as he thought this, the Nullifier's presence was twisting patterns in the red sky above, blackening the ground around him, as well as causing very small tectonic shifts! They hadn't been kidding when these things were walking disasters! Then the thing gave off some sort of howl-screech – that was all he could tell – and it shook the area.

"Dad, Grier, protect us for a few seconds!" Lok said desperately, and they moved quickly, as did Grier - Ironsquire made sure to keep himself between Cathy + the Nullifier, though he was agitated. _"Now's not the time to play it safe"_ Lok thought grimly, working the Willblade until the amulet came out, while he pulled another out of his pocket.

He let the Willblade drop, and held them both up:

 _"Awaken, Legendary Titans, Pendragon, Quetzalcoatl!"_

Wounded as he was, and delay notwithstanding, the energy drain was nearly enough to send him to his knees – hurt like hell too!

Just ahead of him, dad breathed out. "I never thought I'd live to see such a thing, especially from my own son."

"Be proud of him; he's earned it" Grier said, but not unkindly.

The Professor just laughed manically. "Summon whatever you wish; you're still powerless against the power of a Nullifier!" he raved, his features quite distorted.

"And just what are you planning, Simon?" dad demanded.

"Simply look behind you!"

Lok glanced at Grier, who nodded without looking that he had his back, then did so-

-to put it simply, the three Legendary Titans of Mind, Spirit and Body were coming straight toward The Professor! Araknos barreled past the others, but stray spells knocked a man off the spider, which came from Den and Harrison on Tyrannos (behind Hermos; Murdock was soon picked up by Shakrit, who appeared out of nowhere). Tao floated through the air and above them, but un-pursued strangely... Behemoth stomped down as well, but with Critas on his heels, and Lernaean Hydra + Gar-Ghoul on her back. All parties held signs of heavy battle, but the Legendary Titans were still able to do major damage. Lok knew they'd never be able to stop them in time, not with what they currently had, and especially not with a Nullifier able to blast at them!

In fact, the two 'eyes' of the Nullifier were growing more intense-

"Pull back!" dad said intently, he and Grier jumping back, while simultaneously grabbing Lok with them – they were just in time, as the Nullifier blasted the area with a powerful energy beam. It didn't just blast the ground though; it sucked the energy right out of it, leaving a wasteland!

If that was a regular thing with them, then they were in even bigger trouble!

Lok coughed from the dust, before straightening up in their grips. "Dad, I'm fine!" he said, grateful + weakened from his summoning, but still steady. Dad nodded a little, looking behind him – Cathy was still where she was a distance away, and quite terrified, but protectively flanked by her two Titans. Lok wished he could help her right now-

"Now it's time for absolute control!" The Professor shouted gleefully, his three Legendary Titans at his side. _"Spiritshift!"_

Energy flowed out of the three Legendary Titans – they were shaking, quite immobilized by the process – and The Professor turned straight toward the Nullifier, who'd gotten halfway 'in' through the dimensional gap. "Bend to my will!" he continued, shooting a black-orange energy beam toward the Nullifier. The moment it connected, there was a screech the likes of which was never heard before, the creature fighting and thrashing upon contact.

Back to Lok, he was horrified. "Professor, stop!" he yelled. "You can't control Nullifiers! You'll be destroyed if you keep this up!"

If The Professor heard, he ignored this completely (and kept laughing maniacally anyway).

Lok grunted-

"Cathy!"

"Ah! Mom!"

"Lok!"

Spinning around, he thought he didn't register at first; mom!? The first thing she did was hug Cathy, who shook in her arms, while Cherit hovered around them. The latter's face was horrified when he saw their enemy, and what The Professor was trying to do – mom saw this while hugging her daughter, but she controlled her reaction much better.

Dad stepped forward on Lok's left. "S-Sandra..." he breathed.

It was like one moment, they were apart, then the next, they were embracing. Lok barely had enough time to see their tight hug, the headbump, before this registered in the first place. Nor did he notice Cherit hastily flying up before the two embraced, a little embarrassed but still happy to see this.

"It's been so long."

"I know, I know."

Then, just like that, his parents pulled apart an inch. "What do we do next?" mom asked dad, her voice shaky and her eyes teary, clearing wishing she could hold him for the next eternity... but reality demanded otherwise.

Dad squeezed her hands. "Right now, let this go on, least for a few seconds" he said grimly, looking at the struggle (the Nullifier was starting to equalize things). "Lok is right; Nullifiers can't be controlled without specific artifacts. But even if Simon had one, they only have enough power to control their scouts; this creature isn't one of them. This will drain his energy, and that of the Nullifier; we take advantage of what we can."

"You sure, Eathon? We can't just sit around-"

"I know, Cherit, but we don't have enough force to mount a full offensive right now; the battle's still too scattered."

Lok only vaguely registered Cathy standing beside him now (her Titans still protectively flanking them), or his dad talking with Cherit; the entire family was back together. It seemed like his brain was overloaded: the family was back, The Professor was fighting a hopeless control battle, a _Nullifier_ had invaded the dimension of Huntik, and everything was moving too fast! Because of this, he missed how Zhalia, Den and Harrison met up, and they followed her off somewhere while Sabriel and Sorcerel came toward him-

Wait a minute...

Lok jolted, turning around – the two Powerbonded Titans were before him, very scratched up and not light on their feet, but still well enough.

Just then, he got a tentative mental link – images of Sophie, fighting hand-to-hand with Kiel!Betrayer, thinking that he'd need all the help he could get, and that obviously she's got this. He was concerned of course, but the sheer nerve she displayed was something to feel – and he felt slightly better that if things started going bad, as they tended to, she'd lure Kiel within range of help. "Thank you" Lok said to the two Titans, before shaking his head. "But this is all too much" he repeated, out loud this time.

"I-I know what you mean" Cathy breathed, hugging herself, but still in adrenaline mode, so that was good. "But... do we really just wait, in a situation like this?" she asked, glancing at the Nullifier then quickly back.

"Well... Sophie's got The Betrayer handled, The Professor doesn't need any help from us, the other Blood Spirals are being fought off by Dante and the others, while the Blood Spiral Elite..." Lok trailed off, thinking. "I honestly don't know _where_ they are. Is that why I still don't see Den or Zhalia around?"

"Those two, along with Harrison, chased after Murdock, Shauna, and Wind" Grier mentioned to him, obviously not happy about waiting, but he stayed put; he was trusting in Eathon. "I saw them just moments ago; I imagine it's to help keep them off your back here."

"Well, I-I'm not gonna waste that" Lok said weakly, before a thought struck him. "Dad" he called, getting his attention. "We'll wait until Pendragon and Quetzalcoatl get here, along with anyone else we can spare, then attack. Maybe The Professor can't control that thing, but we don't wanna take chances!"

While he was at it though, those two Legendary Titans were taking a sorta long time...

"Sounds good to me" Cherit added.

"Yes, it does, but we can't wait too long for them either-" dad agreed.

 _/_

Powerbonding with a Legendary Titan was great enough – she had to discuss the sense of pride with Lok when this was over – but three in one battle was insane! Kelpie, Icarus, and Feyone had answered her call, but the latter two had Powerbonded on the spot!

Icarus's wing-arms had grown even larger, no doubt to manipulate even more powerful lightning bolts and energy spheres. Golden armor had expanded upward around the torso, covering the chest and the back, though with curious split-sides back there, where 'normal' wings would go. The existing helmet had also gotten a tiny remodel, now sporting golden lining in addition to the usual. Feyone had retained her light armor, but there was more of it, and it had turned golden-colored at the edges. Adding onto to this, Feyone wielded another heavy weapon, and hadn't hesitated in demonstrating her new ability to channel energy through those swords.

Her desire must have been stronger than she thought.

 _"Kindlestrike!"_ Sophie cast.

Kiel literally backhanded the spell with his fist, reflecting it away with little damage – at near the same time, he avoided a breath of fire from Phoenix, and moved away from the attempted dimensional hopping of Timaeus. _"Doublespell! Shocklash!"_

Feyone and Icarus had to swerve to avoid this, but Sophie moved quickly. _"Hyperstride!"_ she called, the first one barely missing her – the second seemed to swerve toward her, impossibly, but it was blasted by Phoenix. The moment she landed, Kelpie pulled up beside her, pawing the ground and ready to go.

Sophie cursed, not caring that it wasn't proper; despite five Titans with her, two of them Legendary Titans, The Betrayer seemed to have inordinate levels of stamina and energy reserves. Adding onto that was his knowledge of their spells, no doubt 'helped' by their spying through Den and Zhalia – at times it seemed like they were shooting blanks! Not that that was anything new from their last battle... even as she panted, Feyone, Icarus, Phoenix and Timaeus all carefully joined her. Across from them, Kiel was still grinning, but this time as if having fun with the challenge.

It was taking everything she had though to keep her focus; every fiber of her being screamed to force the Nullifiers back, and defeat/kill The Betrayer, but she couldn't do both! She shook herself out of it, _"He knows many of our moves, our strategies even, and he has the reflexes to take advantage"_ she thought to herself. _"Well, time to test just how fast he can react to the unexpected."_

Even as she thought, her Titans reacted with anticipation – they knew the situation; she was halfway depleted, so she could not take the offensive alone.

 _"Stalling, Casterwill? I had thought better of you"_ Kiel taunted, very light.

She merely smirked; he'd have to do better than that.

Near her, she could feel each of the bonds between her and the Titans - instead of focusing on one though, she sent her thoughts to all five at once, barely managing it.

Just like that, she opened her eyes. _"Nimblefire!"_

All five Titans ran/flew forward alongside her – and a lot happened all at once.

Kiel called Stormflare, which barely grazed the dodging Phoenix, cast another two rapid-fire on Icarus and Timaeus before they got up close. Feyone went in close for multiple slashes, forcing him back a step, before Kiel had to duck low to avoid Icarus's energy bolts (which exploded against the ground). Just then, Sophie ran circles around him and kicked at his back – it connected, and Kiel grunted, but then he grabbed her ankle and threw her off-balance. She lost sight of the battle for a moment, but when she rolled upright again, Kiel was forced to jump to avoid Kelpie's kicks... which left him in mid-air for Phoenix, flames flickering in her mouth-

 _"Stigmaguard!"_

The dark lightning barrier blocked Phoenix's flames, but when that dropped, Kiel was still in mid-air – Phoenix collided with him, forcing him down to the ground.

 _"He can't teleport in this body, and must defend it now; good."_

Kiel still didn't have it easy; not a second after he landed, Feyone scored a hit across his arm, shallow but sharp. He stepped back, before blasting her with Stormflare – Feyone blocked with both swords, but her feet dug into the dirt for several meters. Then Icarus's energy bolts wrapped tight around Kiel's arms, pulling him back forcefully, just as space rippled and Timaeus appeared directly behind him.

The screech shook Sophie's bones, as it always did.

Kiel yelled, before he backhanded Timaeus right between the eyes (he fell back, chittering angrily), used Stigmaguard to break off Icarus's bindings and throw off Kelpie's attack (though the horse reared up and shoved his hooves against the barrier), then he did a motion that was partly concealed by the spell.

Only Sophie's instincts saved her.

Fast as anything, a Shadowlock burst out of the ground _directly in front of her_ and reached toward her face – out of pure desperation, she leaned backward as far as she could go. The effort twisted her in ways her body wasn't supposed to do, and she gasped as the muscles stretched - even then, the was mere inches away from her; she could feel it's malice. Them flames consumed the ground in front of her, slicing into the spell and making her gasp as they consumed it inches away, before a form dove through the flames toward her- out of instinct, she grabbed on as it flew past her, and then suddenly she was airborne. She was only vaguely aware of riding on Phoenix, but it allowed her to seize control of the situation, even as her heart pounded.

Kiel still remained under Stigmaguard, while her Titans kept blasting at it, trying to break through – Feyone with her energy sword beams, Icarus with energy spheres, Kelpie by repeated hoof poundings, and Timaeus using his signature screech to try and disrupt the spell.

Phoenix flew low enough for her to land-

-Kiel's spell came down just then. _"Auraforce!"_ he called, throwing all four Titans away.

 _"Hyperstride!"_ Sophie yelled, jumping up high, aiming to distract him till the others could rally.

 _"A fair effort, but worthless!"_ Kiel called, grinning as his hand glowed. _"Shocklash!"_

She wasn't afraid, even as the spell sailed straight toward her-

Fire burst to life all around her - Phoenix's Firewall ability - protecting her from the effects of the spell, which she suspected could be _actual_ lava if he so chose. It barely lasted a second before things dissipated, Kiel much closer than before, she drawing back her fist. He moved fast, but she landed enough to graze and push him back, before she called out the first thing on her mind:

 _"Dragonfist!"_

Kiel grunted, stepping back from the gut punch – however, her hand hadn't been glowing; she'd failed to use it. She felt frustrated, both for her failing, and her mental lapse in trying to use it in the middle of a serious battle, without having learned it beforehand!

Just then, without her realizing it, Phoenix's bond showed her something in direct response to her frustration; a series of images, involving a past owner... she knew what to do, if not how exactly.

Kiel just grinned at her, a mocking one too; Sophie gritted her teeth, and ran forward.

He threw the first punch, which she side-stepped, then her hands and feet began glowing red with energy-

 _"Phoenixthrust!"_

Sophie went in close, using martial-arts style moves - her first two hits didn't land, and she barely saw a flicker of something cross Kiel's face, but it didn't last as he threw an uppercut. She managed to back away from it, before kicking at his hip and shoulder... he managed to block those, before she rushed in and socked him in the jaw. The impact shook her hand, but Kiel's cry overrode that – he backed away quickly, clutching at his face... where steam was coming off!

Panting heavily, she remained wary.

Kiel lowered his hand, and the area that she'd hit had reddened considerably; the telltale sign of split-second exposure to something boiling hot. His look was close to a true snarl, if only for a moment-

-Sophie sensed her Titans gathering around her, ready for another bout, even as the red energy faded from herself. She panted, assessing herself and her Titans; they'd taken some hits, and could still fight, while Kiel was beginning to show signs of effort. Win or lose, it was going to be close...

And she couldn't afford to lose.

Then two spells sailed over their heads, right toward Kiel – he blocked it with Stigmaguard, but it allowed Sophie to turn around, to see who'd come to help her.

/

 _Around the same time_

Den was really glad they'd followed after Murdock – going anywhere near that Nullifier thing was crazy! Sophie's ancestor had fought these things for 500 years, and now here they were again! Still, one thing he was glad of; he'd briefly seen Lok and his family, finally back together again after so many years.

It wasn't long before he heard shouting:

 _"Lay off me! I do not need your help, Murdock!"_

That made him raise an eyebrow; according to Zhalia, Wind (the real one) had been the guy to take her away from the battle, but she was taking it out on _Murdock_?

Behind him, Tyrannos roared a little, as Ash and Dervish landed behind him.

Den briefly reached out to Tyrannos, but the Titan gave off a non-verbal 'They're _min_ e' to him - he slowly acknowledged, nodding to Zhalia and Harrison when they gave him questioning looks. Still, not seconds later, they and their Titans (minus Tyrannos) landed on the crest of a big hill – a good breather spot, but not enough. The scene was much as he thought; Wind near Shauna, the latter angry at a disgruntled Murdock, by themselves except for a hovering Shakrit – least until he caught sight of them, the Titan hissing.

"We were in the middle of a battle, Shauna" Zhalia said coolly. "Couldn't handle it? Or did you need an escape buddy?"

Surprisingly, it wasn't Shauna would reacted with the most rage; Wind stepped out in front of her, eyes burning.

He and his brother stepped forward. "Forget about it, dude" Harrison warned Wind, while Den just put his fists up; Wind didn't answer, naturally. Beside him and his brother, Jericho, Vigilante and Kaioh were ready for them, but he heard the various responses of Hermos, Critas, Gar-Ghoul, and Lernaean Hydra.

With this many fighters, naturally things went chaotic.

Shakrit hissed as he dove at them – Den and his brother dove forward, rolling underneath his swooping rush, as did everyone else (he assumed). When he looked up, Shauna was gone, but a series of grunts and impacts made him think Zhalia had her occupied. _"Raypulse!"_ he cast at Wind, who disappeared in a burst of Fireport; damn. Still, even as Den looked around instinctively, Harrison had his back, blasting at Murdock with Shadowbind (he heard him use Formstaff, and the grunting told him that the spell had wrapped around the staff). At the same time, the Titans were battling fiercely:

Hermos attempted a running jump up at Shakrit, but the flying Titan merely flew up higher, while Hermos armor quickly weighed her down, bringing her down with a giant thump. From the back of Critas, Gar-Ghoul, Jericho, and Lernaean Hydra were trying to shoot him down with their unique attacks (ice, bones, and poison globs, respectively). Then Den briefly wondered where Vigilante was, before getting a vision across their bond; he'd surprised attacked Shauna, distracting her to Zhalia's Raypulse, though he soon jumped away. Kaioh tried to use Ensnare when Skakrit did a low pass, before the serpent blasted Jericho, who used his bones as a shield-

 _"Come back to me; gonna need some help!"_ Den thought, Vigilante acknowledging. _"Armorbrand!"_ he called, barely getting it up in time from Wind's Bladewave.

Wind used his other hand to attempt a spell, before vines burst out of the ground and wrapped around his arm. A grunt, then Wind burst them apart with another Fireport-

-Den was glad for the distraction. "Kaioh, over here!" he called, even as Vigilante landed on his left. "Activate Cindercloak!"

Even as they 'fused' though, he got the impression that Wind wasn't operating at his best - in the back of his mind, he saw images of Tyrannos' battle, using his jaws to bite down on Dervish (barely avoiding the spines), while he tried to use his tail to keep Ash at bay.

...

Zhalia heard that, but she was focused on her battle: _"Nursecall!"_

 _"Venomhand!"_ Shauna used to throw it off, then using her other hand. _"Rippleburst!"_

She had to roll several times to avoid that, and when Zhalia stopped, got a brief glimpse of the Titan's battle; Shakrit had landed hits on Lernaean Hydra and Gar-Ghoul, who'd fallen from Critas's back. The former returned after a low hiss, and she could feel the loss of energy, but Gar-Ghoul growled and breathed ice at Shakrit. Then Zhalia turned back, _"Darkfog!"_ she cast, Shauna jumping up into the air to avoid it - _"Hyperstride!"_ she called, meeting her in mid-air-

Shauna attempted a point-blank attack: _"Darkwave!"_

-with the last fragments of Hyperstride's energy, she _just_ managed to twist herself above the spell - but it still cut her cheek several times. _"Touchram!"_

The blast flung Shauna to the ground, while she landed feet away – despite herself, Zhalia was panting, and sweating a bit.

Shauna though, when she rose, wiped something from her forehead...

 _"If that's what I think it is, she's gonna be pissed"_ Zhalia thought.

The sheer rage in Shauna's expression when she turned around, coupled with the hints of red, confirmed her suspicion. Shauna opened her mouth-

 _Crash_

It was almost in slow motion - Zhalia barely had enough time to register the roar that followed this arrival, or the fact that it was Tyrannos. Still, before she noticed the crash had been literally feet from Shauna, and a result of Dervish having been thrown there. This sent Shauna reeling forward from the blast impact, while the dinosaur Titan still fought with Ash-

Zhalia took advantage, running forward: _"Darksleep!"_

Shauna screamed, but out of pure fury – almost feral too. She fought, but Zhalia grunted and increased the pressure on her head, forcing the spell – Shauna still had enough sense of mind to aim at her, point-blank. _"Nullcurse!"_

Because of her Darksleep, Shauna had her focus only half-on... and that was the only thing that kept Zhalia conscious. The pain was intense, like she was on fire, but still she forced her spell to continue!

Eventually, even Shauna had to succumb.

Exhausted a bit, Zhalia vaguely felt a sense that this should have had a more climatic end...

Then something hit her directly in the face – she didn't black out, but it seemed like it, because her face had been covered and she couldn't see. Her head impacted something, and her body went sprawling from the impact, but still she struggled.

Because of this, Zhalia didn't notice how Shauna's mark briefly glow red... or how Wind, after sending the spell that hit her, knelt down beside Shauna with a disappointed look, directed at his own mark (also briefly glowing red). They they started disappearing-

…

 _Very slightly before_

 _"Stormshield!"_ Harrison called, blocking Murdock's Shockgrip, but barely; least it worked though!

Murdock would have kept up the attack, but he was forced to back-step because of Jericho (who while exhausted + weak, was defensively supporting right now). This allowed him to look around, until he saw-

He gasped. "Zhalia!" he called, seeing her struggling on the ground while Shauna and Wind were disappearing; he cursed that development, but it was too late. "Den! Help Zhalia!"

Den saw this too, and now he was worried. "You got it!" he yelled, already running; though his run had a limp in it from Wind's attacks.

Turning back, Harrison cast Shadowbind, but missed – Murdock backed up with Jericho staring him down, right up against the cliff side. On some instincts, while Hermos and Critas were missing beside him, he could feel the others.

"Wanna surrender, or do this the hard way?" Harrison called.

Murdock snarled, then ran forward: _"Firestorm!"_

 _"Stormshield!"_ he cast, blocking that, though with a little grunt; he was running on fumes now. Murdock kept running, and he could see his mouth forming 'Shockgrip'...

Then ice formed around his feet, causing him to go sprawling – and at the same time, vines covered his legs and arms, preventing him from getting far even while struggling. Gar-Ghoul and Kaioh's work-

-Harrison quickly got down, and pressed both hands to the guy's right shoulder; where his mark was. The damn thing was glowing red, and energy was swirling around him; he had little time to prevent him from returning!

 _"Curselock!"_

The energy ran through Murdock like an electric shock, causing him to groan, as well as struggle to get away – and Harrison should know, considering he and Den went through this process nowadays; he couldn't rely on others doing it for him all the time.

"See if you can return like this" he said intently, before getting up and running. "Keep him pinned" he said to Kaioh and Gar-Ghoul, though the latter had this near-imperceptible crack in it's stoic expression, likely due to Zhalia. "If he tries to get away, grow more vines, encase him in ice, whatever it takes!"

While he was running, he saw an incredible sight; Critas had grabbed Shakrit by the tail with her trunk, then began spinning in place. Harrison didn't think an elephant could turn 360 degrees that quickly, but somehow the Titan managed it, doing two spins before slamming the Titan into the ground! The Titan barely had enough time to hiss at this, because Hermos stepped up right in front of him, and brought her hooves down on the Titan's skull. The impact created a crater, and Shakrit collapsed almost immediately into it, and didn't move after that, while Critas just tittered around unsteady from the spin... Hermos also looked to be unsteady.

Didn't see Shakrit return, but unconscious or returned, it didn't matter right now.

"Zhalia! You okay?!" Den cried out, shaking her shoulder; right now hair covered her face, and she was groaning a bit.

Harrison got down on his knees beside Den. "Zhalia!" he called.

"Oh boys... I don't think I'm much to look at right now..." she said, a little exhausted. Then she rolled over, hair out of her face... he found himself briefly at a loss.

"How bad is it?" Zhalia asked, faintly amused, showing this with a little smile.

Den groaned, holding his head. "Don't scare us like that, Zhalia!" he scolded, just slumping. "Your face is steaming, and it's covered in dirt, but it's not anything serious."

"Heh" Zhalia breathed, just laying there for a moment before sitting up. "Well, you know, drama and all that" she breathed, wiping at her face with both hands; a bunch came off, but it clung pretty well. There were a number of cuts on her cheek, thin lines of blood dripping, but they were shallow wounds.

For Harrison's part, he agreed with Den, but he was just more glad that she was okay; if it weren't for her, Den might have never gotten through to him. "You still fit to fight though?" he asked.

"Yeah, a little" Zhalia said, slowly standing up, glancing over at Murdock. "Someone will have to keep an eye on him though" she noted, even as she used Everfight, which helped a little on the steaming aspect.

"I'll do it" he said easily. "You guys can go be the heroes, like usual."

"Hey" Den protested, though only faintly disgruntled; he just smiled a little, his bro eventually returning it.

"Now then..." Zhalia breathed, looking down at the vision of the Nullifier...

Yeah, he didn't envy those two going up against that thing.

Den stood up, helping Zhalia. "How did you learn Curselock so fast though?" his brother asked, supporting her.

"I wanted to be able to do it myself; can't let others do it all the time" Harrison breathed, rubbing his head; personally, he hadn't thought it would work this early, but these had been desperate circumstances. Somethings things happened like that, so he'd thought, why not try for it?

"That was still too easy" Zhalia breathed, almost to herself.

Harrison glanced at Den; neither of them might say 'easy', but they got her point - Shauna and Wind had just disappeared, when they clearly had a lot more fight left in them. Something more was going on here...

/

It had only been a few minutes, literally, but still felt like time was distorted.

"I can't believe we're just sitting here" Cathy said beside him, jolting when a particularly strong energy surge rang out from the Professor's struggle, followed by another screech from the Nullifier.

Lok breathed out himself; this whole thing had him on edge, knowing that they should stop this struggle despite dad's theory (what if he succeeded anyway?), but knowing they weren't able to mount the attack just yet. Five Seekers, a small handful of Titans including Breaker, Lindorm, Baselaird, Sabriel, Sorcerel, Ironsquire, Shadow, and Cherit (who were doing a good job watching their backs)... not nearly enough to challenge The Professor with his three Legendary Titans, _or_ the Nullifier. Right now both were distracted, and struggling back-and-forth without any sign that either was winning or losing. Disrupting this arrangement might turn them both on them, and that was the last thing they needed...

"Yeah, well, we gotta wait a little until help comes" Lok said eventually, working his Holotome, not intending to let this information go to waste. "But I'm on edge here."

"Mom and dad aren't though" Cathy said, slowly glancing behind her.

Lok slowly made a sound; their parents, while also aware of the reality and appropriately serious about it, were still taking advantage of this time for a number of 'smaller moments'.

" _Is that how me and Sophie look?"_ he wondered to himself, embarrassed.

Well, if nothing else, it was probably the reason for Zhalia's comments on the matter...

"They're happy though, it's only natural" Cherit said, not with his usual cheerfulness (he kept glancing at the Nullifier with something akin to intense worry), but still determined.

Cathy shifted, nodding. "Still, I feel like we're in a movie" she mumbled, surprising Cherit, and Lok looking at her. "It's random, but... well, it is! We're fighting for the fate of the world, or dimension, whatever. But in the middle of the final battle, we're cooling our heels while waiting for help, even if a few minutes. *small sound* Usually when the heroes do that, they're doing something cooler in the meantime, and 'before' the final battle, not _during_ it."

Lok slowly chuckled, but sincere - this was the most unlikely situation for such a moment, but this is how it was; crazy. "I know, right?" he asked faintly, "Like this, it's just-"

The energy struggle flared up exponentially, ripping through the sky + land themselves (twisting even more in response), and making them all cover their ears. Still, he quickly stood up along with Cathy-

-the Professor was laughing maniacally, but even more intense as his three Legendary Titans looked to be on their last legs... the Nullifier was gradually slowing down in it's struggle, it's 'eyes' dimming in intensity.

"No way!" Cherit said, utterly horrified. "That's _not possible!_ "

" _Kindlestrike!"_

The spell sailed from Lok's left, and hit the Professor square in the back – the effect was instant: the Professor yelled in fury, and the impact disrupted his spellwork, the Nullifier starting to stir from it's struggle.

Really surprised, Lok turned around; Dad's hand was smoking.

"You'll die slowly for that, Eathon Lambert!" the Professor yelled, struggling to maintain control of his spell.

"Too late for that, Simon. _Kindlestrike!_ "

Even more surprised, Lok turned back, and gasped – Dante had suddenly appeared, blasting the Professor again (further disrupting the spell). Near him, Araknos exhaustedly tried to string Dante, but the latter dodged. "Eathon! Grier!" Dante called, jumping up and over to Araknos' other side.

"On it!" Dad called, stepping forward along with mom, who wouldn't stray far from him understandably, along with Grier (who appeared glad the wait was over). "Your call, son" he added.

Lok breathed out grimly, nodding; he knew what they had to do, but appreciated this. "Cathy, Mom, Dad, Grier, we work together – Cherit, help out Dante with whatever he needs to do ("You got it!)" he said easily, before aiming. _"Augerfrost!"_

" _Boltflare!" - "Kindlestrike!" - "Raypulse!" - "Augerfrost!"_

Augerfrost hit, but in a rage, the Professor threw up an Armorbrand while still trying to control his spell. Lok grunted, but they kept blasting, hoping to keep him from recovering. Meanwhile, the entire situation was deteriorating with the Nullifier, as far as the fact it was getting back to it's normal rage; not good, no matter what they did.

...

At the same time, Araknos tried to hit him, but his strands and his strikes were slow – Dante dodged them all, before he got in close, hands on the spider's head. _"Copykind"_ he said, energy flowing into him before he quickly backed up. _"Hyperstride!"_ he called, getting out of their reach and landing a fair distance away.

"Dante!"

"Cherit" he greeted, smiling briefly. "Good. I could use an energy boost, if you don't mind."

"All over it! AHHHH!"

Infused with the Titan's energy, Dante dove into the power he'd Copykinded from Araknos – yelling, he sent out three separate energy strands, the exact same shade as the spider's. All three attached straight to the Legendary Titans-

-who despite their exhaustion and the spell's effects, stiffened immediately at the contact.

Just then, Dante got a huge burst of mental images – scenes of The Professor ordering them around, including a scene of Zhalia and Den in his clutches. Behemoth and Tao were only controlled by Araknos' ability, but Araknos himself had something different about him; a spell. Dante didn't recognize it, but he did see it's effects, as that of utter control over the spider. Feeling the thoughts of these three Titans, he could feel the spider's dark thoughts – his nature was that of control, but he was angry underneath, struggling and fully willing to lash out at the Professor once he got free. They may be compatible, but even he had limits.

Behemoth and Tao just wanted out of this... but Araknos would not stop once he was freed.

It must have only been a second, but Dante grunted; he asserted his will into the minds of the Titans. It shook him to resort to this, but the situation demanded drastic measures.

Control or not, they fought – oh boy _they fought_ ; he was soon shaking + sweating with the effort involved.

Despite fighting all three, he focused on Behemoth first...

" _Argh! Where is my power going!?"_ he heard, echoing vaguely.

" _Down the deep end, Simon"_ Dante felt.

Behemoth's mind was strong, fortified, as expected of the Legendary Titan of Body – brute force would take too long, so instead he did a series of quick attacks, probing for weaknesses. Then he chanced upon the links of Araknos' influence-

Outside his mental struggle, Behemoth gradually started acting like himself, though it's eyes were starting to close.

-with effort, he tore the connection apart mentally... and then applied pressure to a certain part of his brain.

Behemoth's mind shut down, and so did his body – the power going from him to the Professor snapped, like a link in a chain.

…

"I don't believe it! Dante's controlling all three Legendary Titans!"

"Shutting them down is more like it" Lok said quickly, impressed as he was. "Still, Cherit, we gotta keep the Professor occupied!"

"Will do!"

" _Boltflare!"_ he cast, filling in a gap from his family's attacks. While they did that, he looked at Grier, "You ready?" he asked, referring to their plan.

The older man nodded, his stance full of anticipation - behind him, Breaker had it's body ready for a run

Dante groaned, but he kept up his mental attack, Tao now almost down, even as Araknos thrashed around – the Professor meanwhile, was trying everything to keep his energy stable, but the Nullifier was getting more and more active, and it was _mad._

" _It's gonna be close"_ Lok thought, heart pounding.

"Lok!"

"Den! Zhalia!" he called, relieved; they could use the help – their Titans included. "Dante's taking care of the Professor, but the Nullifier will break free anytime! So everything in your power to distract him, or better yet push him further back into the rift! But don't overexert yourself; it'll take all of us to put it down!"

"Understood!"

Just then, something seemed to snap – Tao fell, and Araknos was soon to follow, his struggle almost feral before he too feel unconscious.

Beside them, Dante wavered, falling onto his knee.

"Dante! Are you okay!?" Cherit called out, flying over.

Worried too, Lok sent his thoughts to Cherit, relying on their bond – through it, he heard Dante's words.

" _I'm fine, Cherit... physically alright, but mentally exhausted... I'm gonna need to lie down when this is all over."_

Despite himself, he felt relieved; Dante never changed.

At the same time, the Professor's energy stream dissipated entirely, the Nullifier snapping back with a roar – then, something instinctive kicked in, and Lok glanced up.

A blue star was high above them – Quetzalcoatl.

" _About time!"_ Lok thought, before reaching out to the Titan, calling him down. In the process, he got a brief image... something about the Casterwills trying to call him back to Earth, to summon the Blue Star, despite the Titan belonging to him.

"I will not allow you to beat me!" the Professor yelled, already holding out a hand-

"Grier, now!" Lok yelled.

" _Energysnap!"_

Much like Ropetrick, a big strand of energy wrapped around the Professor – then with a great yank, Grier pulled The Professor away from the Nullifier, throwing him into the air. Then Breaker was there, jumping up and catching him tightly, landing with most of the impact - then, growling, Breaker threw the struggling Professor, who skidded across the ground until he was least a hundred feet away from the battle. "He's mine!" Grier called, intense. "No one interfere!" he continued, Breaker growling to emphasize the point.

"Wouldn't think of it!" his dad called - however, at Sandra's direction, Cherit gave Grier his last power boost.

With that 'handled', Lok looked up at the Nullifier, who'd recovered and stared at them all with hatred – their greatest opponent yet. Sophie wouldn't back down from this thing, and neither would he. This thing was only partway through the gap, and it appeared to only be able to force one arm through at this time, but it was still dangerous.

" _Augerfrost! - Boltflare!"_

The two spells grazed it's head, as did a series of poison globs and ice shards – Zhalia, Den, and their Titans' work. The Nullifier screeched slightly, turning toward them, adjusting it's grip on the dimensional rift-

-he saw something happen: in the absence of the Nullifier's 'claws', the gap tried to reach the other side of the rift, several times in fact. And finally, when it got a good hold, that small section of the rift _sealed itself_ – just then it hit him; the rift would only open so far on it's own. It wanted to be stable, and only the Nullifier was forcing to stay open! Maybe it was still weak, but it was something!

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Characters-fighting-whom, which Titans they have (before and after), where everyone is and what they're doing... it really is a lot to keep track of; I feel I can hardly fault Lok for feeling the same, when multiple events happen back-to-back like that. It's similar to the final battle of season 2, except even more fast-paced.**

 **At the same time, dangerous opponents still abound...**

 **Stay tuned.**


	25. Ruination

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **Battle continues, between the combined Huntik/Organization/Casterwill forces, and the Nullifier, aided by the Professor and the Blood Spirals. Sophie Casterwill fights The Betrayer, but even with an advantage of Titans and numbers, he is a formidable opponent. Zhalia, Den, and Harrison briefly lose sight of their opponents, before engaging them yet again. Shauna is defeated, before she and Wind disappear, while Murdock is prevented from returning and captured. The Professor comes dangerously close to controlling the Nullifier, but interference from Dante Vale and Lok's family prevent this from happening. The endgame is nearly upon them all.**

* * *

 _"Ruination"_

 _Episode 77_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"Sophie!"

"Lucas!" she breathed, surprised, not just that he was here, but when Viviane, Lane and Dellix stepped in front of them, to keep Kiel off her. Around them, spreading out to help her own Titans were Seraphim, Mythras, and two Wildwood Druids.

Her brother was quickly there, hands on her shoulders. "You okay?" he asked intently.

"Fine enough" she answered, catching her breath, and glad for it. "Where are Santiago and LeBlanche?"

"They volunteered to help keep the Blood Spiral masses away from here. And while we still have time, where's Templar?"

Only then did Sophie remember about him. "He's slipped my mind since we came in here" she admitted, starting to stand up. "He protected me in Venice, but he's never summoned himself while here, even when I was in danger."

She was pretty sure Lucas cursed, the way he muttered to himself, but he looked back at her. "Well, you're not fighting alone anymore, even if it is the Betrayer" he said, clenching his fists. "Even if the Nullifiers do burst through this dimension, no one hurts my sister."

 _"Well, isn't that sweet?"_ Kiel called, drawing their attention; he was grinning. _"I probably should say 'makes me sick', but it'd be better to do this: Cometburst!"_

The area around them began to shake, but it wasn't centered at ground-level... rather in the runes that formed above them; in seconds, human-sized rocks appeared out of each one, aimed directly at them!

"Protect yourselves!" she yelled.

Lucas, Viviane, Land, and Dellix all used Honorguard – somehow, all four spells overlapped much of the same area, including over her. Sophie wasn't willing to let that be her only defense though, and raised her hand: _"Overshield!"_ she cast, putting her own shield under their combined ones, while willing her Titans to scatter (they obliged, the others following their lead).

The spell slammed into their shields all-at-once, and the explosive energy was devastating... Sophie was forced to her knees, just from the indirect impact. Others slammed into the shields in short order, blasting them with energy that they physically felt - only Lucas remained on his feet, barely, but Sophie felt her shield shattering. Still, hands helped her up, and she was grateful even as she grunted... she saw that it had been Viviane and looked ahead – almost immediately, Sophie noted Kiel's arms shaking a bit, and his breathing was heavier than before.

Like Sacredblade, which Nimue had used... the spell seemingly had a massive energy cost, as she'd seen why. _"And The Betrayer can't have gotten used to a body having limits, not after centuries in that unnatural one of his."_

Just then, their Titans struck in retaliation – Kiel had to jump back, where Seraphim's spear had embedded itself in the ground. Then he found himself blocked by Mythras and Feyone, who blasted him from different directions, forcing Kiel to use Stigmaguard. Icarus threw lightning bolts at the shield, where something banged from the inside... then ripped out of it; Seraphim's spear, returning to it's owner's hand. Then Timaeus was there, spinning his body to deliver a backhanded tail slap. Kiel yelled at this, before dazedly trying to blast the dolphin with Stormflare – a wall of fire blocked the spell, before two Sunlocks wrapped around Kiel's arms, Lucas grunting as he dug in his heels.

 _"Kindlestrike!"_ Viviane and Dellix cast, hitting his back.

 _"Raypulse!"_ from Lane, right on the side.

The fire wall disappeared, and then there Sophie was. _"Hyperstride!"_ she called, jumping off Kelpie's back, where the horse then body-slammed Kiel, sending him to the ground. _"Sunlock!"_ she called, making sure to wrap around his mouth – she barely noticed the look Lucas gave her at that.

Kiel struggled... then a purple shockwave sent her reeling backward, disrupting the spell and forcing Phoenix to wing off.

 _"Damn it!"_ she thought; he'd broken through the spell lock!

Roots spontaneously sprouted underneath Kiel's feet, who jumped into the air... only to be followed by a heavy cloud of poison spores, courtesy of the other Woodland Druid. Kiel was forced to use Stigmaguard to deflect them, but Phoenix flew up above the spell, breathing fire point-blank. The force sent Kiel back down to the ground, Stigmaguard absorbing the impact before it sent him sprawling, but he got up quickly. Mythras and Seraphim blasted him with their blue energy breath and fire stream, respectively-

 _"Doublespell! Shocklash!"_

The spells met head-on, at equal strength against Mythras and Seraphim, before they exploded- then Kiel barely dodged Kelpie, who skidded 180 degrees from his charge, even as Feyone and a Woodland Druid ran out of the smoke.

Before anyone could react, an Auraforce slammed into them- Sophie groaned as Kelpie returned, along with Feyone (though she'd held out longer).

 _"Now!"_ Sophie mentally called.

Timaeus appeared directly behind Kiel-

-even with her ears covered, she felt it, as she heard Kiel's yell.

Fire burst to lift in front of Kiel, who in his daze tried to step back, only to be slammed to the ground by Phoenix's swooping body slam. Icarus then bound Kiel with her lightning bolts, who struggled, but Mythras blasted him in the gut. As expected, Kiel disappeared in a burst of fire... and appeared near Seraphim! Lucas reacted, and the angel backhanded Kiel with it's spear, where roots were all ready and began encompassing him. She and the others used Bristlevine, determined to keep him down!

Until-

"Gah-!"

Sophie turned around; Dellix's Woodland Druid had been Shadowlocked! The Titan had apparently pushed his Seeker out of the way, the spell in question returning to the ground. Lane in particular had a reaction to this, quickly rushing over and helping Dellix up-

-Kiel meanwhile, had used a silent Auraforce to get out!

"Sophie!"

She was pushed out of the way-

 _"Darkabsorb!"_

Energy collided, even as Sophie saw who'd pushed her; Lucas, struggling against a second Shadowlock, which was trying to reach him through a barrier, energies clashing erratically.

"Lucas, get out of there!"

 _"Shocklash! Shadowlock!"_

Viviane blocked the first one together with Honorguard, barely, while Mythras stalled the attack in response to this - meanwhile Sophie was worried about her brother! She heard another cry, stating to her another Shadowlock attempt, but she didn't know if it succeeded or not!

Lucas's spell failed, and the Shadowlock reached toward him, but shakily... the tip of a claw touched, before it dissipated entirely. The spell's energy raced up his arm quickly, before it stopped suddenly just short of his shoulder.

"Lucas!" Sophie called, her heart feeling like a jackhammer even as she scrambled up.

Her brother grunted, moving his shoulder every which way, but nothing dislodged his arm; it was frozen by Shadowlock. "I'm fine" he grunted, hefting his free arm. "Just get him down, and keep him distracted" he called, motioning to Seraphim while he talked, who flew forward at a fast rate.

Sophie didn't know what he intended, but this wasn't the time, so she forced her feelings of worry down. "Do as he says" she said to the others, before mentally calling on Timaeus and Phoenix - for the former, to prepare for their attack, and the latter to try and disrupt any future Shadowlocks.

 _"Ignoring me is a big mistake, Casterwill. Stormflare!"_ Kiel called directly at her, still on his feet.

 _"Hyperstride!"_ she and Lucas called, jumping over it - _"Nimblefire!"_ from Viviane, who weaved around the spell. In the middle of both, Lucas used Raypulse (Kiel backhanded this away), and Viviane used Kindlestrike (hit his other shoulder, due to backhanding Raypulse)

With a little angling, Sophie landed behind Kiel, Icarus keeping his attention with her energy spheres – she quickly ran up behind Kiel.

 _"Phoenixthrust!"_

Kiel had enough sense of mind to dodge her entirely this time, but she kept up the pressure – then Seraphim brought up a ring of fire, instinctively stopping Kiel in his tracks. Sophie used that to her advantage, kicking Kiel in the arm, causing him to clutch at it as it sizzled.

 _"Sunlock!"_ she cast, before grunting with effort; she was nearing her limit. So while her spell ensnared all of Kiel's face, she called out to Viviane – the little girl supported her attack with another Raypulse. Mythras helped Viviane blast Kiel at a separate interval, Viviane adding Kindlestrike – they were to keep him distracted, so concentrated attacks weren't practical. For several seconds, Viviane blasted him with everything she had, knocking Kiel every which way with each hit while he struggled with her Sunlock. Dellix and Lane both used Bristlevine to encase Kiel's limbs, their remaining Woodland Druid helping with roots, leaving only his chest unaffected-

-suddenly Lucas was there right in front, his free hand upon Kiel's mark. _"Curselock!"_

Dark electrical energy sprang out before the energy could work, wrapping around Lucas's free arm, making him yell as he writhed. Lucas staggered back, clutching as his sizzling arm before Kiel used Auraforce, sending him flying and causing the rest of them to brace against the shockwave.

 _"Doublespell! Cometburst!"_

In her horror, Sophie saw them forming an _even larger_ circle in the sky.

"Get down!" she yelled.

The explosion was tremendous, so much that she could barely make sense of what was going on! Phoenix took the brunt of the attack for her, the bird screeching at impact - still, Sophie groaned when Icarus got hit by a stray fragment, returning to her just as the impact slammed her into the ground. Across the battlefield, Seraphim protected Lucas while Mythras protected Viviane - Timaeus had dimensionally jumped away with Lane + Dellix, just barely avoiding the bulk of damage (but still took a portion). When Sophie stirred, her body was weak from some sort of impact, and she coughed; there was heavy dust everywhere, along with feathers.

"Lucas!" she called, rather weak, before coughing again. "Viviane!"

Nothing answered her immediately... until the weary presence covering her shifted; Phoenix. "Oh good" Sophie breathed, standing up carefully, leaning onto the bird's wing as support (she didn't mind), though still coughing. _"Can you- can you clear some of this dust away"_ she managed to think.

She wasn't sure the Legendary Titan heard, but Phoenix shifted her wings- Sophie flinched from the sudden burst of light, but there was a sudden burst of wind-

Sophie soon saw; the entire area had been _decimated_ , leaving a huge crater around. Two smoking forms quickly drew her eye; Mythras and Seraphim, shaking where they stood/floated, while Viviane and Lucas were stirring just behind them. All of them looked to be on their last legs... wings for Seraphim...

 _"But... he can't have much left, after three uses of that spell..."_ she thought, to keep herself going.

Laughter reached her, and Phoenix tensed just above her.

Kiel strode out of the dust – he was even more tired and panting than before, but enough to stand; not good.

He still grinned, though his movements were jerky. _"You realize how this will end, Casterwill?"_ he taunted, the glow of his red eyes going through several changes. _"Even if you defeat me here, it will not destroy my spirit in Kiel's body."_

A faint red glow emanated from his mark, which he reacted to. _"Ah yes"_ he said lightly. _"Shauna and Wind are concerned – I have other matters to attend to, but there's still all of you against the Nullifier."_

The red glow intensified, starting to obscure him... but his last word shook her:

 _"Perfect."_

Then he was gone.

Just after that sunk in, Sophie's legs wobbled, and she fell to her knees – her heart was pounding heavily. Kiel (The Betrayer) could have easily killed her, all of them... and then there was that parting word, as if this wasn't even a defeat worth anything.

He didn't find her worth killing, even.

...no, that wasn't quite it, some small part of her brain argued deep down... he wanted her to think that, to break her spirit, but his sweat and obvious fatigue showed otherwise...

But which was true? Which was the reality?

Some time later: "Sophie?" Lucas breathed, standing near her, both his arms injured.

The words came without conscious effort, though slow, her mind trying to come back to here and now. "Help... the others..." she breathed, rather faint. "Anyone who can still fight... needs to help against the Nullifier..."

Ahead of her, Viviane and Lucas (plus their Titans) weren't too enthusiastic about the idea, but they slowly gathered strength. Behind her, without prompting, Timaeus appeared with a dimensional ripple, showing himself along with Lane + Dellix. Timaeus slowly floated down to the ground, also gathering strength, while Lane + Dellix looked like they'd been caught up in cyclone. The latter two just walked on together, before they began to try and heal Lucas' arms, as much as could be done with battlefield magic.

For Sophie though, Phoenix and Timaeus felt the same as she did... but there was an expectation with them.

Yeah, she knew; she couldn't give up, and she certainly couldn't sit here in shock.

/

Their situation, in a word, was war.

Most of the beachhead had defeated the majority of Blood Spirals (taking prisoners when they had the luxury), and those still able to fight joined them near the Nullifier, Seekers and Titans alike. Those involved were under Dante's command – whenever they could manage it, Seekers cast spells, and the Titans were attacking in their own unique ways. The imagery was much like that of flies against a giant, who hissed and countered at the mass of individual attacks, but his attacks were causing major damage. The Nullifier did what it could to crush them all, but he still partly stuck in the dimensional rift... but when he connected with it's 'claws', and it's energy beam, many Titans and Seekers had to dive for cover.

 _"Raypulse!"_ Zhalia called, adding onto her attack – it was dangerous being twenty feet away, but she wasn't about to let Critas be there unsupported.

Just as the Nullifier roared down at her, Critas managed to stab it's tusks into the claw – the thing sort of burst apart, as if an explosion disrupted part of a hurricane, and the Nullifier hissed. Zhalia noted that after it removed it's claw, the stabbed section was trying to reform itself.

 _"We're overwhelming it, bit-by-bit"_ she noted with weary satisfaction, emphasis on weary. _"These things aren't flesh, but they do have limits."_

 _"Touchram!"_ Den called near her, his spell blasting at the thing's head, even as he used the last of Hyperstride's energy to jump back away; the kid had guts being so close. From behind them, Hermos caught Den by the shirt and gently put him down, before the horse whirled around and kicked the Nullifier's other claw. In addition to the pain, the Nullifier moved back a tiny fraction, further progressing the rift's closing. Then it roared, an energy beam coming straight at them-

"Critas!"

-she barely got there in time, planting herself in front of the other Legendary Titan.

Critas' 'limited invulnerability' screen blocked the attack, but it pushed her back, and the elephant was slowly forced to move her head down from sheer pressure, while Hermos got out from behind Critas' flank. Then the blast exploded, sending Critas onto her side – Hermos whinned in protest, ready to jump up and throw down on the Nullifier herself. Zhalia applauded the Titan's bravery, but wasn't sure she could support them much longer; Gar-Ghoul and Lernaean Hydra, as well as Den's Vigilante, had taken numerous hits, being forced to return, and her energy was nearly spent from the other Titans she'd called in.

But what else was new?

Still: _"Lok, you and Sophie better hurry up!"_ she thought.

"Zhalia-"

She turned- Den was coming toward her, though he was wobbly, and he was considerably out-of-breath for the moment.

"-I think I'm spent" he breathed, stopping beside her, hands on his knees. "I don't think I can do too many more physical stunts."

"It's fine, Den" she assured, glancing at the Nullifer, who was currently distracted from them via numerous concentrated attacks. "Now we fall back, while still shooting from long-range; we need to see if the situation's changed back there" she said, all the while quickly writing in her Logosbook; Dante needed to prepare, just in case.

Den glanced behind him, but he nodded. "Okay-"

...

Right now, Lok should have been congratulating himself on Quetzalcoatl becoming Powerbonded... but that wasn't possible. Overall though, the majority of his changes were small, golden armor over parts of his serpentine body, and an additional set of blue wings for a total of six now.

The feathered serpent keened, blasting the Nullifier straight in the head, before the creature tried to blast him with it's own energy beam. The Legendary Titan barely dodged, while Lok supported from the ground with Augerfrost. At the same time, he could barely keep track of the mass of Titans that swarmed the Nullifier, attacking and trying to find weak points and generally cause it grief. He briefly saw his dad's Leviathan ice over a section, along with Jirwolf going the opposite direction, then he lost them. Still, another of the Nullifier's energy beams got reflected off something, coming straight toward him – Baselaird tanked the hit behind his shield, even as this pushed him back deep into the ground.

Lok could still feel his hairs standing on end from that; he still remembered the energy-draining aspect it (sometimes) showed.

However, he saw his chance; the Nullifier was shifting it's position, trying to move toward it's left.

 _"Lindorm!"_ he called in his thoughts.

Just like that, Lok saw the Titan, or felt him was more accurate – Lindorm used Rolling Charge on it's right claw, severing it at the fingers, and truly irritating the Nullifier. However, it had served it's purpose, forcing the Nullifier's claw into smaller and smaller spaces even as it tried to reform.

 _"It's not fair"_ he thought, frustrated. _"Lord Casterwill fought these things for 500 years, and all we can do is push it back... though, maybe that's all he could do at times as well."_

Beside him, Dad used a Kindlestrike, shortly followed by Cath and Mom (both using Raypulse).

Right.

"Quetzalcoatl!" Lok called, getting ready-

-he stopped; his instincts were kicking in, and he quickly looked up.

A light was rapidly approaching his position, and Lok could feel it's bond already... well alright! Better (really) late than never!

The light came down with a crash, then from it, Pendragon roared it's challenge - and the first thing he did was rain energy swords upon the Nullifier, which really got it angry. Pendragon swooped under it's energy beam, flying in close along with the other flying Titans.

Through their bond, Lok saw why the Legendary Titan was so late; he'd literally been the opposite side of the Spirit World. Apparently even fast-traveling balls of light took awhile to traverse all that distance. He was sheepish, if only for a moment – they had work to do though.

/

 _"Enderflame!"_

Still moving forward with Shadowspeed, he wasn't worried – Megataur tanked the blast for him, then Grier sped around his Titan. _"Stoneblade!"_ he called-

-the energy nearly stabbed the Professor, but he got away with Slipstream.

Grier moved to go after him, but Breaker's shadow came over him; he quickly turned, seeing his main Titan tanking a blast of Stormflare, which would have hit him from behind. He quickly stepped out from behind Breaker, aiming a hand: _"Rockforce!"_

Bullet-like, yellow energy bolts rained at The Professor.

 _"Armorbrand!"_

"Breaker! Megataur!" Grier called.

Both Titans roared as they ran full speed toward the Armorbrand, but leaving enough space to allow him to shoot further spells. Grier kept up the attack with another Rockforce, then Megataur slammed into the Armorbrand with Horn Charge – it rebounded, but then Breaker was there, roaring as he slammed two fists onto the spell, followed by the other two (each impact shook the area slightly). After the second hit, Megataur was back, also slamming a fist into the barrier. However, just as it went down, the Professor used Auraforce and sent them skidding away. Grier had to cover himself as the waves of energy washed over him, but he knew his Titans were unhurt.

For now though, just the two of them.

 _"He was so focused on bending and upgrading the Legendary Titans, that he didn't bother to find any other Titans to bend to his will"_ he thought, disgruntled. _"Aside from his original ones, who've been defeated or seemingly lost, he's got nothing; how disappointing."_

"It was a mistake to let you live, Grier" the Professor growled low, the disfiguration having taken over his face completely now, and most of his exposed hands; Grier could only guess how far it had progressed bodily-wise. "When I am finished here, you will be the first to die by my hand!"

He snorted. "Finish what, Professor?" he called, hands at the ready. "In case you haven't noticed, your Legendary Titans are unconscious, you're on your last legs, and you don't have anymore Titans to call."

"There are always ways to win!" The Professor growled, on the edge of insanity, if not already there. "I'll defeat you, and bind Araknos to me again! I'll keep the curse from going any further!"

"Then why has it progressed onto your hands?" he challenged. "Why is your face even uglier since the Huntik Team found you again?"

 _"Rippleburst!"_

He dodged that carefully, getting back to the ready – on his sides, Breaker and Megataur were back, ready to finish this.

"Face it, Professor" Grier said grimly. "You won't survive the day."

"I'll never accept that!" The Professor yelled, his expression twisted beyond recognition. _"Energydevour!"_

Shockwaves radiated outward, lightning striking all around, even as the Professor literally burned with a dark-purple energy. Instinctively, Breaker and Megataur took up defensive positions in front of him – and for good reason too; Grier recognized certain elements about that spell.

It was extremely similar to Soulburn.

"So, that's how far you're willing to go" Grier said quietly to himself. "You're beyond saving then, Simon."

 _"Doublespell! Stormflare!"_

Breaker and Megataur took the hits from him... but not without great effort. Grier reacted instantly after that: _"Shadowspeed!"_ he called, running in instantly; those spells had been double their usual power, so he had to end this _fast_.

Then at the same time, they both called out: _"Mindsight!"_

It was only up-close that Grier noted it, but directly after The Professor used this spell, the curse visibly spread even further down his hands, and other sections got worse.

With them both under Mindsight, they knew exactly where and when each other would throw an attack, as well as dodge. It was fast and furious, and it must have gone on for a full minute before they wore off completely. Grier attempted a point-blank Touchram, but The Professor threw up an Armorbrand that slammed him into the ground. Then Grier rolled away as an Enderflame scorched the ground where he had been, and he retaliated: _"Dragonfist!"_

The Professor caught it, _bare-handed_ , with a grin – then he applied pressure, and Grier groaned as his bones twisted, before he was thrown away. Rolling across the ground, he instinctively clutched his throbbing wrist after he stopped-

 _"Ender-!"_

Megataur roared, swinging a power blow that The Professor was forced to dodge, then Breaker was there with all four fists. The Professor just managed to get up an Armorbrand in time, but Breaker's impact shook him anyway. The two Titans continued to pound away, and Grier helped with several spells with his other hand, then finally the Armorbrand broke apart. Breaker's fists slammed onto The Professor's raised arms-

-the impact shook them both, but The Professor yelled and threw Breaker away!

Grier ran forward quickly, getting furious now. _"Augerfrost!"_ he called, striking the arm Breaker had hit; The Professor yelled at the impact, briefly clutching at his arm.

Good; Breaker had actually hurt him.

But still, he was deeply troubled; only full-force adrenaline could have withstood a blow like that, knowing how much force bears could put into their paws.

Megataur took advantage of his Augerfrost to aim at The Professor, throwing back his arm to punch – the man barely managed to catch it one-handed, though the effort pushed him back several feet. _"Poisonfang!"_ The Professor called with his other arm, which hit Megataur straight in the face. Even as Grier groaned from the shared sensation, Megataur roared with pain before he heat-butted The Professor, who went flying. Breaker circled him on his other side, growling with anger when The Professor still managed to rise uneasily. But even as he did so, vessels were starting to rip open the skin, blood trailing down the man's arms.

This wasn't just lifeforce-into-energy, this was literally everything he had left!

"This has to end" Grier announced intently; his two Titans understood.

 _"Shadowspeed!"_ he called, running in close and getting ready.

 _"Spikewall!"_

Something deeply instinctive ran through him, courtesy of Breaker... barely, Grier managed to stop himself in his tracks.

It was a good thing he did; The Professor conjured this dark-green shield spell, box-shaped instead of spherical, with numerous spikes as big as his head evenly placed throughout. If he'd kept going, this could have easily impaled any part of him.

The Professor just laughed, completely mad at this point, not seeming to notice his good eye starting to distort from the curse. "How do you like this, Grier!?" he called. "I had it made specifically for you!"

"Yeah, I can tell" he answered darkly; but internally, he could feel Breaker and Megataur slowing a small distance away. _"Keep going"_ he told them, mentally outlining what he was gonna do.

And just like that, his two Titans kept going, roaring in their own ways as they closed in.

"Go ahead! Dash yourself to pieces upon me!"

They were seconds away-

-Grier aimed: _"Doublespell! Stoneassist!"_

Black energy shot out of his hands, rolling over Breaker and Megataur – and when the spell faded, their forms had become entirely encased in flexible rock.

Megataur roared as he crashed a fist onto the Spikewall, which rang through the area with sharp cracks of stone breaking. Then Breaker was there, rapid-fire hitting the spell on the other side, breaking off points and trying to get through. This forced The Professor back, turning one hit from Megataur into a graze, the bull snorting in irritation. Still, both Titans continued their assault on each side, while Grier used Stoneglove to break off points himself ( _very_ carefully).

Just then, Breaker and Megataur broke open sections of Spikewall...

 _"Auraforce!"_

From within, the spell slammed through the spell's openings – Breaker and Megataur were sent sprawling, injured from the force, while the Spikewall itself shattered and was sent flying at him. Grier tried to bring up Armorbrand, but only got it up in time to block half the debris... he gasped as the rest sliced into him, pain flaring in dozens of spots while he fell onto his back. Still, even with the shock to his body, he resolved himself to get up – his face and arms throbbed in particular, and he was bleeding from numerous lacerations, but he could still move properly.

 _"Shadowlock!"_

He tensed, getting ready-

-but the spell missed him completely, by two whole feet.

Completely still + breathing heavily, not sure of what happened, Grier looked at the Professor.

The other man grunted, entirely pissed off, and cast again: _"Shadowlock!"_

Same result as last time, but even more off: appearing in front of him five feet away.

Grier slowly grunted, panting – the curse had finally run it's course with Simon's other eye, and now he couldn't see properly.

 _"Enderflame! Rippleburst!"_

Neither spell hit, and he just slowly resolved himself. _"Hyperstride!"_ he called, jumping up and overhead; maybe The Professor couldn't aim right anymore, but running straight at the wild spells was still out-of-the-question.

Grier landed just behind the him, his fist clenched.

The Professor whirled around, his expression twisted beyond all recognition again.

He whirled too, but much faster-

 _"Acidheart!"_

-the spell connected, straight against the Professor's chest.

The Professor gave off a strangled grunt, backing away unsteadily, clutching at his heart... then slowly, his eyes rolling up, he fell backward.

Panting heavily, Grier stared at The Professor, and he felt relief for avenging his stolen Suits; the pain had been well worth getting them back, and ensuring their safety. Even as he stood there though, Breaker and Megataur slowly came up on either side, the former slowly sniffing the air. At his Titan's probing though, Grier looked more closely, where his eyebrows slowly furrowed as a suspicion formed. Grim now, he slowly stepped toward The Professor, wary for any sign that he was about to spring back up – but nothing happened as he very slowly got down on one knee, reaching forward bit-by-bit. He touched two fingers to Simon's neck, right on the carotid artery.

Ten full seconds went by...

There was nothing.

Grier slowly removed his fingers, feeling weary and regret now, in addition to his injuries starting to flare up as the adrenaline wore off.

He knew this was how Simon Judeau would choose to go out, and given him the fight he'd wanted, but though it was long past that point, a small part of him wished this could have been avoided. Still, hand upon his knee, Grier slowly lowered his head – beside him, feeling his emotions, Breaker and Megataur slowly bowed their heads as well. They stayed this way for three seconds, before he got up. _"Boltflare"_ Grier breathed with a slight grunt, the spell manifesting in his hand, before he threw it skyward, whereupon it exploded and marked this position at twenty feet.

He looked at Simon once again, before he and his Titans ran the other way, toward the Nullifier.

/

"Lok!"

He turned around, relieved beyond all words except one: "Sophie!"

She was scratched up, heavily exhausted, and there was a look in her eyes he couldn't place, but she seemed well enough – however, the others with her weren't so lucky. Lok looked at Dante, who nodded and diverted a few others to help them up; more and more people had come, finishing their battles with the Blood Spiral masses. They knew full well though this was only part of their numbers though - no doubt others had been hurt, and were getting emergency treatment right now a distance away. Still, Lok only had eyes for Sophie though, who he met in a quick-but-firm hug.

"Need any help?" Sophie asked, determined despite everything.

Lok just breathed out, glad as he held her. "You bet" he said weakly, before turning toward the Nullifier, though he didn't let go of Sophie's hand.

Even as they talked, the battle with the Nullifier was still ongoing – the giant creature was still stuck in the dimensional rift, which seemed unable to bend beyond certain limits. It was gradually being pushed back bit-by-bit by their attacks, yet the Nullifier fought back with powerful energy blasts, many of which rained upon their numbers like a hurricane. Numerous Titans had returned after one hit, or even two, while just as many Seekers had been heavily wounded. The battle was still very much evenly matched, while one wrong (or right) move could tip the scales - but time was running out, because their supply of Titans and Seekers was limited.

The Nullifier tried to blast Pendragon, who dodged with a roar before using his Energy Sword Breath, repeatedly stabbing the creature in the face as it hissed. Then there was Quetzalcoatl, blasting it's 'chest' with his energy breath, before both had to wing off; the Nullifier had nearly scored a hit with it's claws.

Even from here, Lok could feel their states; they would soon starting tiring out, allowing the Nullifier chances to hit them.

At this point, they needed something big.

 _"It'll be risky, but we have to try"_ Lok thought, determined – they couldn't just continue using standard spells, hoping to push it backward before they all ran out of power. Vaguely, he thought Pendragon and Quetzalcoatl heard/responded to this, but he couldn't be sure.

"Zhalia! Den! Cath! Dante!" he called, getting their attention; he didn't have to try for dad or mom's, nor Cherit's as well. "I've got a plan!

Even as he said it, more Nullifier blasts rained upon the area, Seekers and Titans yelling as it hit or near-missed – on one side, Hermos had to tank a blast to protect this large group, but the horse could barely stand after it was over. Critas was slightly better, because direct damage was blunted thanks to her abilities, but she couldn't handle too many more either.

"Make it quick" Dante added, before he glanced behind him (Lok) and motioned someone away for the moment (he mouthed 'Grier'). "Many Seekers may be in danger of dying, and I'll be _damned_ if I let any do so on my watch."

It was uncharacteristic for Dante to be his way, and Lok faltered at that – what he didn't notice was Zhalia's expression; she knew why, though he didn't know any of that. "Look, get everyone as far as possible while still blasting, Dante, and have Grier help out" he said quickly.

"Already in the process."

He wondered, but put that aside. "Myself, Sophie, Zhalia, Den, Cath, mom and dad will stay together" he continued-

"You want us to call our Titans over?" Den asked quickly, Zhalia nodding.

"Critas and Hermos, yeah, definitely; we'll need protection."

"Protection from what, Lok?" Sophie asked, her hand tight in his.

"You'll soon find out" he breathed, a little worried himself, mainly about the aftermath. "Everyone else will distract the Nullifier, as much as we can possibly can while I set up our attack."

"What attack, Lok?" Cherit asked, worried.

"P-Please tell me it's just spells" Cathy breathed, the adrenaline near to empty; she was shaking again. "I don't think I can get nearer to that thing!"

Mom put a hand on her shoulder; Cathy just leaned against her, almost desperate. "You'll have us, Cathy" she said quickly, soothingly, looking at him. "Anything we can do, Lok" she said, though also partly directed at dad. "Count on it."

His dad smiled slightly, though still serious. "What your mother said."

Lok nodded quickly, hearing the Nullifier roar again, so he briefly had to be louder. "Sophie, while you distract, get Timaeus to use Sonic Screech on that thing. As powerful as he can make it; have Cherit use his Energy Boost if you need to."

"I can, but it'll be temporary-"

"And when we've pushed that thing back, can he help speed up the rift's closing up?" he asked intently.

Sophie was startled, before his words registered– then a really good look came into her eyes. "I get what you're saying, if not how you're gonna do this mystical attack" she said, confident.

"Knowing Lok, we don't need to" Dante added, lighter than before, for a moment. "We all know our parts?"

They nodded out-of-synch, and just like that, they separated a bit – and a lot happened: Dante ran off in Grier's direction, while also shouting his instructions. Sophie stopped about twenty feet away from Lok, Timaeus hovering near her before he chittered something – Cherit used his Energy Boost on Timaeus several times over, before he dropped to the ground, caught by Sophie (then Timaeus disappeared into dimensional space). Zhalia and Den remained nearby, but Lok also saw Critas + Hermos start moving toward them. Mom and Dad both cast Doublespelled Darkfogs on the Nullifier, trying to blind it (and judging by it's hissing, were succeeding to a degree, irritating it at the very least.). Cathy helped out with their more simple spells, otherwise staying near them all.

Still, Lok had his own part to do, and he reached out with his thoughts. _"Pendragon! Quetzalcoatl!"_

They heard, veering off from their attacks, but not entirely pleased – they had a burning hatred for this creature's kind.

Lok understood, if these things were mortal enemies and all.

 _"Bladecall!"_ he said, summoning back the Willblade, quickly solving the puzzle and opening up the jewel, which was empty at this time. However, under his direction, only Pendragon came down to him – he had Quetzalcoatl fly further out, showing the Legendary Titan what he planned to do.

The acknowledgement he got was complete approval and elation - then the feathered serpent sped up, trying to go as fast as possible without wearing himself out. Then Pendragon landed beside him, giving off a low growl – just like with Quetzalcoatl, Lok showed him.

Lok held up Pendragon's amulet. "Return" he ordered, heart pounding at what they were about to do.

The dragon returned, the burst of light flying off to parts unknown, while his amulet itself gleamed slightly to indicate he'd properly returned (even if the light had yet to get back to it's 'returned' location). At the same time, the ground rumbled a bit, partly from the ongoing battle and partly from the footsteps of Hermos and Critas. Lok glanced up, confirming this even as he carefully put Pendragon's amulet back into the Willblade's jewel, which closed up on him. The blade itself glowed with Pendragon's orange energy, it's intensity fading slightly after a moment, but ready for his part of the plan.

Then Sophie was beside him, noting this. "Nearly time?" she asked, before aiming a hand at the Nullifier. _"Boltflare!"_ she cast, but without looking at it's effect; they were distracting after all.

"Nearly" he said, hoping it'd work. "Cherit?"

"I left him with Dante" she said, about to say something else before two other spells (Augerfrost + Raypulse) distracted her; Zhalia and Den came up to them, along with their Legendary Titans.

"What next, Lok?" Zhalia asked.

"Next, get Critas and Hermos to take up positions in front of us" he said, sighing. "We'll take cover behind them."

Zhalia faintly raised an eyebrow, before looking at Den. "Rather than just standing behind them, they should be 'sitting', as best they can" she said, Den getting the idea and nodding. "We'll be behind the bulk of their bodies that way.

"Good thinking, I guess" Sophie noted, before looking at him. "Lok?"

He didn't answer right; his bond with Quetzalcoatl showed how far the feathered serpent had come. Mentally, he felt that was perfect, and the Legendary Titan took that opportunity to wing around, flying back the way he came... and this time, he was pushing himself to the limit, flying as fast as possible.

"Get Dante and Grier's attention, get them behind cover or as far away as possible, and spread the word" Lok said quickly, before he stepped out from around Critas and Hermos - behind him, he missed how Zhalia was achieving this via Logosbook. "Mom, dad, Cath!" he called, "In fifteen seconds, get behind Critas and Hermos!"

"You got it!" his dad answered.

Lok nodded, even as Critas and Hermos carefully got into 'seated' positions; certainly not the best positions for an elephant and horse (at least normally). Meanwhile, with his naked eye, Lok could see Quetzalcoatl racing toward them in the sky.

"Whatever this is, it's gonna be one hell of a bang, isn't it Lok?" Den noted, already down and ready, with Zhalia and Sophie similarly getting down.

Lok slowly breathed out, hesitant despite himself. "You have no idea" he answered, but serious; it was nearly time.

Then the Nullifier roared, which only told him that his family's Darkfog and other spells had worn off. He risked a peek behind the two Legendary Titans, but was relieved to see the Nullifier still 'stuck', spells striking it from all sides - those who could still fire them, at least. Then when Lok turned around, he was in time to see Cath, mom and dad come around the other side – Cath was breathing heavily, and it was almost with a detached sense of relief that she just laid down, hard. Their parents quickly got down too, very close to them both. Cath's heavy breathing + shaking worried him, but he just kept telling himself it was almost over- it was almost over.

He hoped.

Lok remained standing though – Quetzalcoatl was flying low and fast, and would soon race over them. Raising the Willblade, he could swear it's energy was swirling with anticipation.

Wait for it... wait for it...

Quetzalcoatal and Pendragon's energy levels spiked together.

 _"Forcefuse!"_ Lok yelled, swinging the Willblade as hard as he could.

The orange energy raced upward in an arc, with an afterimage of Pendragon along with it, heading straight at Quetzalcoatl. The Legendary Titan saw this, but didn't stop racing forward at full speed – he merely growled low, ready. Then the spell 'impacted' Quetzalcoatl, who screeched as a rush of orange energy enveloped him, adding to and intertwining with his own blue energy until they were inseparable. Even as this happened, the Legendary Titan's headlong rush continued, and in seconds he'd raced overhead out of their sight.

Lok groaned, hard; transferring the power of a Powerbonded Legendary Titan was like it'd been drained him of the same amount! He staggered backward, hitting Critas' side and sliding down without meaning to; he barely noticed his family + Sophie worrying over this.

The only reason he was still conscious was probably because of the adrenaline...

 _"Quetzalcoatl!"_ he yelled mentally, while he could still (barely) focus, heaving. _"Transform!"_

What happened next, Lok didn't see directly thanks to his position – but his bond with the Legendary Titan allowed him a sort-of mental view.

Thanks to their efforts during the battle, the Nullifier had been forced arm-first into the dimensional rift, which had halved in size. Spells continued to strike with less frequency, but a large number had changed to Darkfog, making it impossible for the creature to see. Seconds after Lok saw this though, they stopped entirely as Quetzalcoatl raced in, and the Nullifier swiped through the air, clearing the Darkfogs + lingering energies. Quetzalcoatl, infused with Pendragon's energy, screeched at full intensity as the distance closed, the Legendary Titan coming in with the speed of a train. This attracted the Nullifier's attention, who hissed with irritation and rage – the otherworldly sound grated on the Titans' nerves.

Then Quetzalcoatl changed; light burst into being, intertwining with his body and completely enshrouding him. The process continued until little was left but a huge source of blue light, enveloped by a thinner layer of overlapping orange strands, thanks to Pendragon's energy.

The Blue Star.

The Nullifier yelled in pure defiance, his free claw swinging back-

-they collided.

Even if someone could look at it full-on, they wouldn't have seen the impact, because it was so damn fast - they would have had to have been going slow-motion just to see it.

The Nullifier's claw began to burst apart upon impact, but retained enough presence to rip the Blue Star in half, near-point-blank.

First came the light; a blinding burst of blue so intense it could have been white, interspersed with dashes of orange. The brightness was overwhelming, even to those behind cover – Seekers and Titans alike shielded their eyes, even those kinds that seemingly had none. Then came the sound, a deafening crash far beyond anything they'd ever heard, sounding as if they'd been next to a jet engine unprotected. As a result, the combined emotions of all participants twisted the ground in ways it shouldn't, and finally exploded the distant volcano in the process.

Then came the impact itself: an initial shock-wave that slammed into everything, with explosive force similar to a bomb. Unlucky Seekers in the vicinity were blown away, while the rest struggled to hold onto something - even those far enough away could feel it as intense wind. Titans did everything they could to take the blows for their Seekers first, no matter how much strength they had remaining. Some managed to tank it through various means, but many of the weakened ones returned almost immediately. The amount of wind and dust made it near impossible to see, and that was putting it mildly, as if they were in a hurricane.

Behind his cover, temporarily blinded, Lok groaned as Pendragon and Quetzalcoatl returned to him instantly. Somehow or other, he remained conscious, but thoroughly exhausted. Out of slight desperation, the wind/debris/sound still pounding away, he dug in for Quetzalcoatl's amulet while trying to solve the Willblade's handle puzzle by intuition only... somehow managed it on his second try. He felt both in his hands, and they stayed there as the long seconds passed. He couldn't hear anything, but no cracks moved underneath his fingers, no matter where he touched.

They weren't gone; just returned. Thank god...

Still, the light briefly intensified on his eyelids, and Lok struggled to shut them even tighter before it suddenly toned down to manageable levels. And more than that, the howling wind had stopped, leaving him to cough heavily; there was a lot of dust thrown up.

But things were almost too quiet.

"Sophie?" he asked, but his first attempt barely registered in his own ears; they were ringing heavily, and he could barely hear himself... "Sophie!?"

"Y-Yeah!?"

Sounded far away, though she must be shouting as well; it had damaged his eardrums, temporarily or otherwise.

"Your turn!"

"...right!"

Lok didn't hear her shout, but despite the exhaustion, he knew she must be mentally shouting to Timaeus.

Vaguely, taking him a few seconds, he slowly reached out to Timaeus as well, depending on his bond with Sophie to help out...

For awhile, all he saw was darkness – then an image burst upon him for an instant; that of the dimensional rift. The Nullifier had been literally ripped apart by the point-blank explosion, in several pieces that moved on their own, but unraveling in the manner of storm clouds. Even in this state though, it's dismembered claws tried to move, to reform as they dissipated rapidly. He could have sworn Timaeus's sensitive ears picked up rageful hissing, despite it's 'face' having been demolished, and despite Timaeus' ears being as damaged as any of theirs. All that aside, the rift was gradually shrinking on it's own, but it still had a ways to go... and the longer the rift remained opened, the more they risked _others_ coming in.

Timaeus moved in quickly, right next to the swirling vortex.

With his hard-of-hearing state right now, Lok had to strain to hear the screech Timaeus used – meanwhile, the black energy that sprang from the Titan was completely silent. The energy initially clashed with the dimensional rift, but Timaeus adjusted it, until finally the rift visibly started closing twice as fast...

Seconds before it finished, another claw tip burst into the space from the inside, energy clashing wildly; another Nullifier trying to get in.

Timaeus got ticked off though, and went in close, really close – Lok could see the claw up-close through it's eyes, and it was extremely similar to a swirling storm cloud (but with a fixed shape). Then the dolphin bit the Nullifier's claw – yes, seriously, he bit it with his sharp teeth! The thing jerked hard, and Timaeus ripped it from the main body with great effort, then continued his efforts to force it back. Bit-by-bit, the dolphin succeeded, and the second Nullifier was forced to withdraw it's claw tip, the rift itself having tightened on it's form. Timaeus quickly withdrew, and the rift closed in on itself-

Space itself rippled with a visible 'shock-wave', which passed through everything.

Still beyond cover, Lok 'felt' the shockwave pass through him, rather than actually physically jolt him.

Silence followed, slipping out of his slight bond with Timaeus, Lok spent several moments panting...

...and just like that, his adrenaline wore out entirely, and the world went even darker.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Well, like I said, three parts instead of four for the battle itself, unlike Season 2. Though, I kinda like it better this way; the final battle of Season 2 ended a little abruptly, with what I felt was (somewhat) inadequate closure after it all.**

 **If that sounds too casual a reaction to the end of the battle, it's likely because I don't think anything I could say would work, not without falling flat.** **Anyway, we're not done yet, but I will say these battles were intense to write, as I'm sure you can all imagine.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	26. Anew

_In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless  
_ _Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
_ _Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
_ _Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory  
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!  
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside  
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!_

 _Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody_

 _Huntik!_

* * *

 **The battle's endgame reaches it's peak. Sophie Casterwill receives help, but even this is not enough to defeat the Betrayer, who abruptly vanishes afterward. The Professor is separated from his Legendary Titans, put under by Dante Vale, then engages Grier nearly one-on-one. However, the curse of the Legendary Titans progresses even further, making it impossible for The Professor to battle effectively – due to his failing health, Grier's finishing blow kills him. Against the Nullifier, they are forced to take drastic action. Under the direction of Lok Lambert, Pendragon's energy is transferred to Quetzalcoatl, who becomes the Blue Star once more. The blast caused much damage, tearing apart the Nullifier, finally allowing the rift to be sealed.**

* * *

 _"Anew"_

 _Episode 78_

* * *

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

"How's our wounded?"

"Most have been stabilized, Dante, according to the other healers." Scarlet said, working intently on a wounded even as they talked. "There are a fair number of broken bones and internal injuries. Many Titans have returned, but no one's reported destroyed amulets, or deaths... yet."

Dante breathed out, thoroughly relieved... unfortunately, he had to ask the tough question: "Is that the final report?"

The woman slowly shook her head, glancing back. "I wish I could say otherwise" she breathed. "I've only gotten the preliminaries... no one's given a consensus yet."

In other words, no final count or report on if anyone, Seeker or Titans, had actually died... there were a lot of wounds to be treated, and only so much time. He slowly nodded, grim, before he coughed heavily; dust still lingered in big amounts.

 _"Well, I'll hope for the best, along with everyone else."_

"Thank you, Scarlet" Dante answered faintly, standing up from his kneeling position. He stayed long enough to see her help the exhausted patient with Everheal, before he turned and moved on.

Glancing around, this area looked like a wasteland, with uprooted pieces of land and everything blackened in the extreme – this a full hour after the battle had ended. But Dante had hope; strong feelings and emotions shaped their world, and he knew it would eventually transform back overtime, or even just change into something different. For now though, this was how it all looked, and everyone in the area had certainly taken a heavy toll... even now, that final attack of Lok's still had people grumbling. Dante understood, but at the same time, he was amused + proud of Lok; pushing back a Nullifier was nearly worth a little discomfort, though he wouldn't say that out loud, of course.

Then he turned, moving along the hasty rows + lines of patients, healers rushing about, a large number he didn't immediately know. As Dante went along, he did see Lucas, who was having his arms treated, due to a sustained Shadowlock on that same area, and an unidentified wound on the other. Very near him, Lane and Dellix watched over him, their hands together. In a smaller group on the other side, Viviane was with Santiago and LeBlanche, all of whom were injured/exhausted, but still fine. Viviane in particular looked to be staring off at nothing, but still aware of what was around her - he thought she'd be okay though, as she'd been in a large-scale battle before today.

Dante nodded to them all, continuing onward – he missed the weight of Solwing on his shoulder now. His friend had taken a hit for him during the battle, to make sure he helped the others handle The Professor.

 _"In time though"_ he thought to himself, slowly looking at his hand - the symbol of Powerbonded Solwing came without prompt. _"In time."_

Also among the injured was the one death from this battle (so far anyway), having a large blanket over his form - The Professor. A very grim Grier kept watch, heavily bandaged across the chest + other places, but his movements were merely stiff, not difficult.

Grier caught his eye, and they shared a moment, before Dante nodded.

 _"Take care of him"_ his look had said - Grier merely returned his gaze; he didn't intend to move.

Dante watched a moment more, his gaze on the body, before he moved on again.

A few minutes later, he came across the team he'd grown fond of.

Lok was still out like a light, exhausted and weak but stable, supported by Sophie and Cathy – the former was also tired, but she looked well enough. Cathy seemed to be on a borderline state of emotion, not sure what she should be feeling, but still massively uneasy and weak mentally; something he easily understood. Sitting beside them, Den and Zhalia sat side-by-side, with Cherit resting on Den's lap, also out like a light. Just behind them all, Eathon and Sandra were sitting together – very close, and no doubt expressing all manner of small affections now that the battle was over.

"Hey" Dante breathed, as light as he could make it, which admittedly wasn't as much as he'd have liked.

"Dante" Zhalia breathed back, standing up almost immediately, followed by Den (after gently relocating Cherit where he sat; the little Titan slowly curled up there) – Cathy was surprised, but Sophie remained with Lok and didn't look up (also understandable). "How are you feeling?" Zhalia asked.

"I think that's my line" he answered, a little mild, but looking at them all.

Den slowly sighed, rubbing at his right arm, the sleeve having been cut off at the shoulder by several blasts – his mark remained inactive at the moment, thanks to Curselock. "Well, I think my brain's overloaded" he said faintly, glancing around them. "I feel sorta numb, I guess... but I'm glad that explosion didn't permanently damage anything" he said, before something occurred to him, then he looked intent. "Is Harrison still with Murdock?"

"Last I heard, Murdock had been moved with the other soldiers we did capture" Dante replied, glancing up. "I believe by now, they're on their way back to the Huntik beachhead under guard, if not back to our dimension. Harrison is probably getting himself checked out by our healers."

Den slowly nodded. "Good enough for me" he said, still holding his arm. "I want to make sure he's okay."

"Then go ahead" Zhalia said, giving him a push; he gave her a little look. "We can catch up later."

Den slowly nodded and ran off... well, he was exhausted in his movements, but you knew what he meant.

Dante watched him go for a sec, then stepped over to Cathy. "Are you okay?" he asked seriously.

"I-Is it truly over?" she asked, weak.

He nodded gravely.

"T-Then... yeah, I will be" Cathy answered then, still intently relieved, getting stronger (if slumped). "I just need... more time, doing normal things..."

"Understandable."

Zhalia stepped up beside him, arms crossed. "If anything though, she probably just wants much of that time to be with her family; we can give it to her for a little" she said gently, before making a sound. "Though Sophie's not going anywhere."

"I heard that."

They all smiled a little, but Cathy looked back at them. "I'd like that, thank you" she merely said, glancing between them faintly; the women definitely knew what they were hinting at.

Dante nodded again, before turning to walk away – Zhalia followed him easily; only now she was responsible for the subtle 'getting-them-alone' excuse.

…

Sophie breathed out, just feeling Lok's pulse, which remained steady-if-weak while he was unconscious. Now though, she couldn't be more proud of him; after a full battle's worth of energy usage, he'd harnessed the power of two Powerbonded Legendary Titans and used them to end a _Nullifier incursion_. She wanted nothing more than to hold him, kiss him even, but knew this wasn't the time or place for that. Still, it made her smile, her fingers lingering across a few fringes of his blonde hair... and for a moment or more, that wound of his from the Venice attack, which had yet to fully disappear.

Slowly, weary, Cathy sat down beside her – in her lap, she held Cherit now, slowly moving her hand across his back. "Hey, Sophie" she breathed.

Sophie's first instinct was to ask if she was 'really' okay – but it was more complicated than that, she knew, plus Cathy probably had had enough of the question due to the last few weeks. "Don't worry, Lok's gonna be just fine" she breathed gently.

A small smile, for a little. "I know that" Cathy whispered, before looking down at the unconscious Cherit. "I just... wanted a little comfort."

Sophie thought she needed a lot more than that, but she said nothing. Glancing behind her, she also saw why Cathy couldn't go to her own parents for that, as would be her first instinct – they were currently 'engaged', even with just small stuff. Blushing a little, Sophie looked back, thinking how embarrassing that must make her look while with Lok... even if she did enjoy it privately. "And I'll be glad to give it, Cathy" she said, sincere. "If anything, it will help soothe my frayed nerves as well."

Cathy made a weak noise, but full of relief. "I'm just glad to know even experienced people can get frayed nerves" she said. "Well, I mean, normal battles at least!"

"If we didn't, that would indicate something was wrong with us" Sophie answered, but understanding; Cathy had to let out her raw feelings, so her wording was spontaneous, repetitive, any number of things... something that wouldn't come out all at once. "And even we hope never to fight huge battles like this – it's already been too many for my tastes, and I've wanted to fight for the Huntik Foundation all my life. Still, never once did I think I would fight The Betrayer... the one responsible for the first Titan war."

She saw this register with Cathy, who's mouth opened, then quickly closed. "I-I'll find out later" she said quickly, mostly to herself. "If I still want to know... it's been a l-long day."

An understatement if ever she's heard one.

Still, Cathy looked back at her. "Anyway, that knowledge aside, facing such a powerful figure would scare anyone" she continued. "I know I certainly would have, even being on the sidelines as I was!"

"It'll be okay though, for both of us" Sophie said, agreeing.

"Despite being scared though, you held yourself well, Cathy-"

They both turned; Eathon had come near them, with Sandra never once straying away from him.

He was smiling warmly, as was his wife. "I'm so proud of you, as I am Lok" he said with a similar tone, both of them sitting down beside her. Cathy was definitely moved, as she immediately hugged her father after that, mostly for the desperate comfort.

Sandra smiled, though hers was tinged with worry, rubbing her daughter's back for a little... then she looked straight at Sophie. "Don't believe he doesn't mean the rest of your team either, Sophie" she said gently, many emotions underneath the surface. "You'll all done extremely well; more than anyone could have expected. We're all in your debt."

Sophie smiled warmly, glancing at Lok for a moment before nodding. "I don't doubt it for a moment" she breathed.

At that moment though, Cathy jolted, and she instinctively looked up as Eathon turned- then Sophie was really surprised.

Very weary in his floating, Lindorm growled a little as he slowly lowered himself to the ground, his gaze on Lok (and ignoring her). However, after a moment, Cathy stepped forward, drawing his gaze slightly.

"It... it's okay, big guy" Cathy breathed, looking at her brother. "He'll be okay."

Lindorm slowly snorted, but it was understanding.

"And either way" Sophie added gently. "You'll done extremely well, Lindorm; Lok would be proud of how hard you fought."

With barely a glance, the Titan expressed his approval, before surprising Cathy by getting closer to her. It took her a few moments, but eventually the woman got that he was allowing her to touch him, which she slowly did.

Sophie smiled, approving. "He must approve of you too, Cathy" she continued, surprising Cathy. "Scared or not, and personality differences aside, you fought your best; he respects that."

Cathy's mouth worked a little, but she nodded, slowly moving her hand on Lindorm's snout - her fingers were still shaking, but Lindorm's gaze looked sympathetic.

...

"I must say, I'm relieved to see you okay."

"You expected anything else?" Zhalia asked, mild as they walked.

Dante merely chuckled a little, before they both just stopped – a fair distance away from everyone, the background volume low enough that they could hear, if not the details. Very visible to everyone as well-

-just like her vision had shown, blasted area and all.

As a result of all that, she was nervous, heart beating faster.

Dante continued as usual though, because he couldn't know about that vision. "No, I didn't expect anything else, Zhalia" he said, fainter than his usual. "But why wouldn't I be relieved?"

After he said that though, his hand slowly came up – it made her even more nervous, but she was determined not to let this overwhelm her. His small smile was warm, taking a moment to toy with the front strand of her hair, brushing against her cut cheek briefly before it went onto her shoulder. Her heartbeat spiked as a result, and already she was feeling warmer – the moment was arriving.

"If you wanna suddenly back out, have more time to think" he whispered low, but soft. "Now would be good."

Their arrangement...

Slowly, very hesitant, she reached out and touched his cheek in return – he was surprised, but it only showed in his eyes and smile. Just as slowly, her heart pounding the entire time, that same hand went right onto the back of his head. After a little, she toyed with Dante's hair slightly, her conscious mind aware that people could be watching. That made her a little shaky, but she managed to put her other hand near his shoulder. He definitely liked her touches, and there was a different warmth in his eyes, just like she'd seen last time they'd been together.

Even if circumstances had cut it short, and even if their current situation was still heavy.

"You're sure, Zhalia?" he whispered softly.

Still shaky, she nonetheless managed a nod.

"Then come here" he invited.

She breathed out, then instantly leaned forward-

-Dante met her kiss just as quick.

Zhalia gasped; she couldn't help it. Their little kisses before had been just that, and sensation-wise, they were several steps below this one. Almost on it's own, her grip tightened, trying to pull Dante's head + shoulders closer to her. He liked that, meeting her pull with his own at just the right intensity - his free hand gently went to her waist. She felt the touch, and it enticed her to step closer, even with all her attention elsewhere. The entire time, their lips were constantly moving, exploring the curves of each other, unlike the mostly soft caress of last time.

Yes, she did just think caress.

It almost seemed to blur together... until that moment when they had to pull away.

It felt like her heartbeat had gone haywire, and her cheeks heated up quick, fingers instinctively brushing against her lips. For a moment, Dante needed to catch his breath too, and then they regarded each other. He gave off a little smile, making her even more nervous, before he slowly glanced to his left briefly.

She didn't need any prompting to know what lay in that direction; anyone within sight of them.

"Well" he whispered softly, looking back at her. "I'd say we drew some attention."

That sentence only increased her heart-rate, but with effort, she tried to tone it down. _"It'll be okay"_ she told herself, trying not to look. _"It'll be okay..."_

"You know there's no going back though."

Zhalia focused outside her own mind again. "I know" she breathed, faint, still a little embarrassed. "But uh... I'll have to face it sooner or later" she continued, stronger + already feeling better as she went on. "And I'm not the type of woman who runs away from something."

Dante just hummed a bit. "Just like I expected" he said, actually eliciting a small smile from her.

"Well..." she breathed, slowly moving her hands behind her back. "It seems that even from the beginning, nothing I did was unexpected. Not to you, Dante."

"I wouldn't say 'nothing', Zhalia" he said, very gentle.

"How?" she asked, with a bit of her usual snark.

"I never expected you to go from your usual behavior, to a full-on relationship visible to everyone, in just a matter of weeks" he admitted, but with a little smile. "So, I'm afraid you're wrong, Zhalia; you have surprised me. All through this particular adventure, you'll helped me nearly as much as I've helped you."

Despite herself, Zhalia tried to look anywhere but at him – he stopped that with a little finger under her chin, which left her with a chill.

"It's a very good surprise though" he said, sincere, removing his finger gently. "And I wouldn't mind future ones."

At this rate, she was gonna turn into a pile of mush - she couldn't allow that, at least not this early. She was glad he'd removed his finger though, because a little kiss or something else just might have accomplished that.

So, after a slight gulp, she worked to maintain some element of composure. "I understand..." she tried; sounded like her, but needed more work. "What I want to know is... why no 'that was amazing' type of comments?"

Dante raised an eyebrow briefly, almost smirking. "Well, that's a cliche answer to affection" he said lightly. "If you want one from me though, that's another matter."

"I didn't say I did" Zhalia snarked, before internally breathing a sign of relief; she was getting there.

He chuckled, but also gave her a little look, and she understood it: he liked her natural composure, and was making sure she'd get it back.

 _"Could almost become a little ritual for us..."_

...

Oh man, he felt like he was made of lead, and weak all over... he did hear voices though, from close by...

His head was laying on something warm; a pillow?

Slowly, Lok tried to open his eyes, gradually getting there, but what he saw was blurry. Once his vision started working correctly, he saw-

"Uhhh... S-Sophie?" he breathed, still out of it.

"Lok" her voice breathed, completely relieved. "You're finally awake, sleepyhead."

Despite his state, that got a little chuckle out of him; that was his girlfriend right there. "Well sorry, I just-" he started to say, still heavy and everything, before he slowly realized how he was laying. "...should I count my lucky stars now?"

Sophie blinked, tilting her head, evidently confused.

"I mean, either I'm hallucinating, or my head's on your lap right now" he sorta teased, faint.

She gasped, her cheeks reddening, right before she instinctively moved – which dislodged him enough that he fell to the ground, luckily a short distance. "L-Lok! Don't say things like that out loud!" he heard from her.

Despite the slight ache of impact, he just wearily chuckled... after that though, a pair of legs got into his vision, and he knew those weren't Sophie's. He looked up slowly, before: "Cath!" he breathed, relieved.

Somewhere along the line, she extended her hand, and he accepted it - slowly ( _very_ slowly), he rose to a seated position, also helped by Sophie, both in rising + staying seated. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I will be" Cathy answered, sounding like the question had worn thin, but still mostly relieved about him. "But you, little bro, are just _crazy!_ "

"Huh?" he breathed, blinking at this sudden burst of emotion.

"She's talking about your little stunt, Lok" Sophie answered, who while still red-cheeked, sounded normal. "Next time, give us more warning before you temporarily blind and deafen everything in the vicinity. Because that _was_ crazy!"

Oh yeah, now he remembered... still, his brain could only focus on the fact that he could see/hear normally now... which meant it couldn't been anything too bad. Though there was a little bit that said, well uh... he was probably in hot water if his girlfriend and his sister agreed on a subject.

"Well, we needed to end things" Lok said sheepishly, if faint. "I-I mean, there wasn't a lot of time to test things through-"

"Still, more than five seconds would be appreciated."

Lok opened his mouth, but laughter interrupted them – he slowly saw it was coming from dad, with mom also looking a little amused.

"W-What's so funny?" he asked, a little embarrassed that they had seen all this, though still much out of it.

Dad looked at mom for a moment, who moved slightly on her arm grip. "Just that it's good to finally have things normal again" he merely said.

Lok could only agree internally, before he adjusted his position - however, when he moved his hand, he touched fur. Surprised, Lok looked over, and found Lindorm looking straight at him; how had he not noticed him before?

"Hey" Lok breathed, moving his hand with a little smile. "Glad to see you too, Lindorm; worried about me?"

Lindorm merely snorted, before he leaned down, using his teeth to 'bite down' + help him stand up (he appreciated it).

...

Eathon simply watched as Lindorm helped, Sandra beside him - it was worrisome Lok couldn't stand on his own (not out of difficulty, but sheer exhaustion), but he knew his son was going to be alright. And not just him; Cathy would be okay too, even if she still had a lot of mental things to work out...

Somehow, he thought that once she got going (truly), she wouldn't stop.

"She's gonna need you, Eathon."

He slowly looked at Sandra, before he tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Even after years apart, you still somehow have a knack for reading my mind" he said, slightly teasing.

Sandra just leaned against him, warm, and a comforting presence to have again; she knew he was glad for it. "I'm serious" she added.

He slowly nodded, glancing at his children (Lok was being supported by Sophie + Cathy, and they were talking, Lindorm beside them carrying Cherit). "I know" he answered, sincere. "I know, dear. On this adventure, both Lok and Cathy have expressed their joy that we're finally together again, hoping that somehow they could make that permanent. Now they have... once we're a family again, that'll remain, but everything else is gonna come into the open too. The fact that I was gone, that I wasn't a part of their lives growing up, and even more."

Sandra said nothing, but he could tell what she felt.

He glanced over. "From Lok, from Cathy" he breathed faintly. "Even from you, Sandra."

At that, her grip on his hand tightened, but it was a firm one intended to keep him close.

He appreciated the grip, and returned it; "I know I have it coming, even if it wasn't my fault" he said gently, pulling her into a hug, and they held onto each other tightly. "I know that, and I'll gladly handle anything you guys can throw at me."

"I hope so" she whispered, when they pulled back a little. "But it just means that we don't intend to let you go again, Eathon. Especially me."

He smiled, gently brushing against her cheek; she placed a hand over his, enjoying the moment.

It was good they did; soon they heard the others talking again, apparently Dante and Zhalia had come back, so they looked.

"What was it you were doing anyway?" Sophie asked, looking at Zhalia.

Zhalia slowly fidgeted a bit, then she glanced at Dante, who also gave her a little look (but so quick Eathon couldn't quite catch it). Zhalia's hand twitched... then slowly, she slipped it into Dante's without looking at him, who showed no surprise whatsoever (just intertwined them).

Hmm, well well...

The others reacted very quickly. "What- Zhalia!?" Sophie exclaimed, completely shocked, probably because this was seemingly out-of-character for the woman. Cathy also looked surprised, before she got a little smile, which suggested his daughter had long since seen hints of this, and probably saw it coming. Lok, still being exhausted and therefore a little slow, slowly glanced between Zhalia+Dante's hands, at Sophie and his sister, blinking several times. He didn't say anything however-

-Dante did though. "I'll ask you guys not to tease her too much" he replied easily, primarily looking at Lok and Sophie.

At about the same time, Eathon shared a look with Sandra that said a lot. "Well, that notwithstanding, we're nearly all together again" he breathed.

She nodded, getting the idea; they started walking forward. "Hey" Sandra announced lightly, drawing everyone's attention. "How about we move on with the others? Go back toward the beachhead, and home."

Cathy made a 'little' longing sound, if shaky. "Oh, yes please mom!" she breathed, still a little weak.

"This way, then" Dante breathed, gesturing with his free hand, before he started walking - for 'some' reason, Zhalia kept up with him, keeping her hand in his. Sophie, Lok, and Cathy looked at each other, but soon they started following; they had a little difficulty, due to Lok's exhaustion, but soon they got the rhythm down. Eathon held Sandra close to him, and she to him, and followed as well.

/

"You okay, Harrison?"

"Fine enough" his brother answered, before gesturing at Den's own sleeve. "And I should be asking you that, Den."

He breathed out, rubbing his bare arm; the sight of the (inactive) Spiral Mark was still putting him on edge, even now. "It's fine, just clothing damage" he said, slightly mild, his brother having a little smile. Mostly though, they were just glad to be with each other again, even as the sight of the other wounded made them serious. In particular, the covered form of The Professor kept drawing his eye... Den didn't know how to feel about that. He hadn't fought the guy (properly), or knew the nuances of what he'd done to the team in the past, but he also knew he shouldn't feel too sorry, or satisfaction. However, he thought feeling nothing at all wasn't appropriate either, and there was his issue.

"Well, I'm just really-" Den started to say, to distract himself.

"Hey" Harrison breathed, lightly tapping him.

While surprised, he looked, before getting a slight smile; the rest of the team was coming toward them (along with Lindorm, apparently as a bodyguard), with various reactions to the status of the wounded. He stood up quickly, hearing Harrison following behind him, "You're about to return to the beachhead?" he asked, having an idea.

"That's right, Den" Sophie breathed, supporting Lok along with Cathy.

He worried for the guy, but Lok just looked exhausted, so Den turned his gaze to Zhalia. "Well, maybe we all can-"

He stopped; just noticed her hand in Dante's.

"Not one word, Den" Zhalia stated, though her lip curved a bit. "Not till we're back, anyway."

He opened/closed his mouth several times, then shook his head; okay, so he was surprised, but who cared? For Zhalia, this must be more difficult than anything else she's done, at least by comparison- he should be supportive, and happy for them (which he _was_ for the latter).

"Oookay then" Den breathed, rubbing his head, and he glanced at Harrison - his brother just smirked slightly. "Uh, anyway..." he continued, searching for something else to say, before the image of The Professor's body came up.

Well, if nothing else, the team deserved to know (and they'd probably ask at some point anyway)...

Dante caught his eye, surprising Den- the man's expression was grim, even as he also glanced at the body of The Professor. Slowly, Den got that Dante was saying 'Allow me', and he nodded to show he understood.

Dante glanced at Zhalia, who understood and let go of his hand, allowing him to step forward (with everyone's attention on him).

Dante appeared reluctant. "Everyone" he spoke heavily, before he gestured behind him. "As Den was about to point out, there's something you should know. The Professor... is dead."

Because of the battle, and general exhaustion, the reactions were probably subdued from what they might have been. Lok and Sophie slowly looked at each other, shocked; Cathy just looked plain shell-shocked, but Den couldn't be sure if that was _the entire situation_ or not; Zhalia slowly let out a breath, glancing down, but her expression hard-to-read; Eathon just closed his eyes, but Den saw his grip on Sandra's hand tighten; Sandra was sad, but mostly that was directed at her husband, while she did her best to return the grip. Behind them all, Lindorm slowly growled at this knowledge... to Den, it appeared to be a mix of memories (facing the Professor no doubt), and small satisfaction.

Well, Den guessed he wasn't surprised about that.

Seconds passed with little more... until Eathon stepped forward, Sandra making little motions that showed she wanted to be with him, to be close, but that this wasn't something she could help him with. Lok and Cathy in particular kept a very close eye on their dad, while everyone else got the idea and stayed silent.

Eathon stopped just short of the body, and stared at it for awhile... eventually, he reached up, his fingers closing upon the fabric, and moving it.

Den didn't hear anything Eathon said, but did see his mouth move.

Then Eathon bowed his head, before abruptly bending down, both palms upon the makeshift platform - they slowly curled into fists, and were shaking.

"Dad" Lok and Cathy both whispered, though at different times.

Den felt strange again, and he silently sighed; he respected the _fact_ of Eathon's friendship with this guy, but at the same time, Den didn't have the experience or knowledge that the rest of the team did. He was in essence an outsider to this whole thing, and he knew there was little that could change that now, but it still bothered him.

When he came out of it, Eathon was still bowed over, but only for another two seconds - then he turned and walked away, showing the effort in every step.

Sandra quickly ran up to him. "Eathon" she breathed, quickly wrapping her arm around his; he didn't mind, but he also didn't respond. Sandra quickly thought this over, before she lead him forward. "Dante, we should continue onward."

"You're sure you're done, Eathon?" the other man asked.

Eathon's mouth moved slightly, but he nodded, barely perceptible.

"Very well."

* * *

 _Earth_

 _Outside Venice Treviso Airport_

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Two days later_

"You've decided, dad?"

"I have, son" dad breathed, mom still holding onto his arm, which he touched a hand to. "First off, I'm gonna take those few weeks off, maybe months, to spend time with this family; you all deserve it. After that, I believe I'll enter semi-retirement, just like your mother."

"We both agree that, even if we wanted to fully retire, no one's going to let us anymore" she added, making them smile. "We've simply gathered too much attention now, with your father's intimate knowledge about the Spirit World."

"Sorry about that, mom" Lok said, sheepish. "The others not letting you, I mean."

"She didn't say she blamed you though, stinker" Cathy said, briefly nudging him.

"That's not what I meant" he protested, rubbing the area she'd nudged; he had recovered enough to stand, but he was still weak, and explicitly told (by doctors and Sophie) not to do anything strenuous for awhile. Internally though, he was glad Cathy was recovering.

Some part of him though said this was still mainly an act (and he couldn't blame her), but at some point, Cath had to let it all out. Thus far, she was more jumpy and much less energetic, like she was quietly ready to explode. The only thing that kept her from doing so was that she was still within earshot of them all, and she still didn't want to bother them, even though they would fully understand (more than that even). Still, Lok understood that part; even if she trusted them, the hardest part was actually starting things...

"I know, I know" Cathy said, slightly playful. "Still... that works out" she continued to dad, more soft now. "We can all go home. I've got some time before my college entrance deadline."

Dad smiled a bit, nodding. "I'm glad too" he merely said.

Despite himself though, Lok was a little sad. "I realize how hard it was on you, Cath, and I didn't like getting you involved in fights, but... I still liked having you be part of the team, even if briefly" he said, completely sincere.

His sister softened a little. "I know, Lok" she whispered, closing her eyes. "The adventure, the Titans, spells; all of that was pretty exciting" she admitted, before making a sound. "But the danger, the fighting... I think- I-I just don't want that... to be a regular part of my life, is all."

At that moment, mom put a hand on Cathy's shoulder; she appreciated it.

"Though, I also don't want to go back to being out of the loop" Cathy continued, opening her eyes. "I just mean that- I'm not cut out to be on the front lines... even if for the Foundation, that's usually in exploring, r-rather than fighting. And besides, if I know about it all, this means there's another branch of jobs I could get."

"Wait, you mean, you might work for the Foundation one day?" Lok asked, surprised; hadn't been expecting _that_.

"Maybe" his sister admitted, sheepish, slowly shrugging. "Or even just a job underneath their influence, passing along information to other places, decoding stuff; I could help in some ways" she continued, completely sincere despite that. "You know, if it all works out."

"Well, college is important" dad said, subtly proud. "But I'm sure the Huntik Foundation would love a bright college-level woman in their ranks."

"Oh dad" she brushed off, embarrassed.

Lok chuckled a bit, knowing that feeling, even if he knew Cathy cherished it (due to dad having been gone). "Does that mean you'll keep your Titans with you?" he asked, glancing at her pocket.

Cathy considered for a moment, then nodded. "I don't think I'll use them in battle too much anymore" she admitted faintly, pulling out one amulet; which he recognized as Springer's. "However, lock-picking and puzzle-solving are good skills to have" she added, slightly playfully. "Though I'm not gonna use this little guy to cheat or anything."

He laughed a bit now; the thought have never crossed her mind. "Just remember-"

"Civilians must not know" she finished for him, a little more serious. "Don't worry, I've got that lesson down to _heart._ "

Lok was just sheepish, a little unsure what to say-

"Also-"

"Hmm?" Lok breathed, before looking at what she held-

-another amulet: Shadow's.

After a moment, Lok looked back at her - she was a little sad, but her look was generally fond.

"You're sure?" he asked, understanding.

Cathy slowly nodded, placing the amulet in his hand slowly - a brief glow occurred, though not a true bonding. "Like I said, I'm not meant for battle" she said gently, looking more at the amulet than him. "Shadow may find plenty of worthy opponents in his dimension, but not here, like he really wants to."

"He does?"

She nodded. "Yeah" Cathy breathed, before getting a little teasing tone. "He's always had a secret desire to see what our dimension is like, and fight there."

Another brief flash from Shadow's amulet; if Lok didn't know better, he'd say the Titan was embarrassed.

They looked at each, then laughed a little. "You got it, Cath" Lok said easily, closing his hand, intending to do just that. "I'll take care of him for you, but I'm sure he'll always consider you his real owner."

A little smile, then they hugged-

"When we get home though, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna scream" Cathy whispered, faint.

"If it means helping you recover, go for it Cath" he gently encouraged gently. "Alone, at me for getting you into this, at dad for being away-"

She made a sound. "You better join in for that too, bro" she breathed, her grip a little tighter. "I know you feel the same, deep down... you can't let it build up, just like I can't let my fear + shock build up any longer."

Even as they had their little conversation, Eathon shared a glance with Sandra, who held onto his arm. They didn't say anything, but they both knew that was an issue with them all as discussed, and Eathon held her arm back. He slowly nodded, showing again that he intended to face it, but also that he wanted to remain part of this family. Sandra gave a little smile, leaning her head against his briefly, before she led him to their children - he didn't resist. While surprised, Lok and Cathy felt their parents hug them, and they didn't mind whatsoever after the fact.

After that, they let go, still full of emotions... still, Cathy slowly bent down, getting her things.

"Well, I-I'd better go" she breathed, reluctant. "Or I'll be late for my plane."

"We won't be far behind you" mom said, Cathy nodding quickly. "There's a flight scheduled for tonight."

"I'll be on a flight tomorrow or the day after, after making sure things are understood here" Lok added, hand behind his head. "I am the leader of the team after all (he got a few playful looks), but I will be there; count on it. Now if only the airport's flights for today hadn't been so booked already-"

Truly, it was insane; Cathy's flight had sold out fast, and she'd been lucky to get her seat - this had forced mom and dad to get the next flight later today, while he still had a few things to take care of here in Venice, to make sure the team settled into Dante's old house temporarily.

Cathy laughed a little though, adjusting the straps, before a thought seemed to strike her. "Oh yeah... dad?" she asked hesitantly, looking at him.

"Hmm?"

"If there were other Nexus' in the Spirit World-" she started, her mouth working.

"-couldn't I have come home sooner?" dad finished for her, slowly nodding, quite serious. "Unfortunately Cathy, Lok, Sandra, it took me a _long_ while to find one, as they're still distressingly rare."

Cathy looked at dad a moment, then managed a little head tilt. "And, the Professor?" she asked, hesitant.

Dad nodded, a little grim now. "Yeah" he said, faint; mom held onto his arm even more, just as intent as Cathy. "I only stumbled upon a Nexus shortly after the Professor felt into Huntik, along with the other Legendary Titans. I knew what he was capable of, and what he could achieve. I couldn't let him stumble upon the one I found, or any others - so I stayed, trying to lure him away. It was the hardest thing I ever did. But I never gave up; if I couldn't use a Nexus, I could try and invent my own dimensional spell."

"But it took too much energy" Lok stated, slowly sighing; he still remembered his own (unknowing) attempt at doing one solo; he really owed Zhalia for saving his life. "You knew it would have killed you, dad."

"Unfortunately..."

A little moment of silence - Lok understood why too; coming home would have been his only wish, and finding a Nexus would have seemed like a dream. But when The Professor was thrown into Huntik, dad knew they'd all be in danger if The Professor found it - so he stayed, to help try and keep them safe. It just seemed that, when Zhalia and Den stumbled into the dimension, it had been bad luck that they led the Professor straight to it. Lok wondered though... if Zhalia hadn't destroyed the Nexus, would dad have been forced to destroy it in her place?

Mom stirred, jolting him out of it. "Well, in either case, you've done well in all that time, Eathon" she said gently. "I'm proud of you, but I'm even more glad to have you back."

Dad softened, tightening his grip. "As am I, Sandra."

Cathy shared a look with him... they were both thinking of what she'd said earlier; dad being away had still hurt them, even if for (sorta) good reasons. Lok _did_ feel this a little of this, even if he didn't want it to change things.

But his sister did smile a bit, which he returned; they were glad too, almost beyond words.

 _"Yeah, we'll work at it"_ Lok thought. _"We're happy for him, and we'll let out the hurt, but we'll still be glad he's back."_

/

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

The place still looked like the aftermath of a full-scale attack, and was still under construction - it was only at this time that the workers weren't doing their thing, which had allowed the team to visit, assessing everything. Lok was still discussing living + headquarter situations, but for now, Dante's old house would have to do for the team. Though that had been earlier; Lok was with his family near the airport now, Sophie was with her brother, and he didn't know where Zhalia and Dante were this moment (probably still at his old house). Things wouldn't go back to normal for awhile, of course.

"I'm gonna miss you." Den admitted. "Having you around reminded me of happier times."

Harrison's mouth curved a bit, but he nodded. "I know, Den" he said, the two of them standing together. "But, I'm glad we got to fight together again. Next time though, I'm gonna have to test your new Legendary Titan, so plan on that."

"That'll be the day" he said, with a little grin.

Harrison just smirked. "But seriously, don't let it go to your head, bro" he added, doing a pointer-finger gesture - the both of them just laughed, and did a little hugging/play-fighting.

"Don't worry about that" Den assured, stepping back a little. "Even if I did, I've got friends who would beat it out of me."

Harrison raised an eyebrow, hand on the doorknob. "Not literally, I hope" he snarked, opening the door.

"Not unless I forced them to" he said lightly, before nodding. "Good luck on your next mission, bro; tell everyone I said hi, and that we're sorry for dragging you away."

Another little smirk. "Yours too" Harrison replied, before aiming just behind him. "See you around, Cherit?"

"You bet, Harrison."

And like that, his brother left through the door (taking extra care with it; the hinges were damaged), leaving Den standing there.

"Don't worry, Den" Cherit called, resting on a couch that had escaped the earlier attack. "There'll be plenty of opportunities to see Harrison again."

"I'm sure there will be" Den admitted, pulling out the amulet of Medusa from his pocket.

It had been exactly where he left it at Dante's old house, and the Titan had apparently changed little. He had meant it before though, as he wasn't done with this one yet; one way or another, Den intended to do what he could to tame this Titan. If he could pull it off, it'd be something to remember... but when he'd made that vow, he hadn't had a Legendary Titan of his now. Den smiled a bit, knowing that now Medusa just might have to deal with the new-and-improved him, who was a bit more confident. Plus, maybe this would finally put him at L-

Shaking his head hard, Den fought not to think like that.

"I am my own Seeker" he said to himself determinedly, grip tightening. "I am good, but there's always more to learn."

Seconds passed, and he didn't feel all that different, but something within him had eased a little.

 _"Well, it's only been a few days, since I bonded with Hermos"_ Den thought to himself, managing a small smile. _"Hectic days at that. I need to give it time."_

Then he slowly brought himself back to the present; Cherit was looking at him seriously, and Den looked back, managing a little smile. Cherit returned it after a moment, before Den glanced at the ceiling and walls; parts of which were still damaged.

"I imagine our current mission, if not given to someone else, is to help finish fixing this place up first" he noted, sorta trying for light.

"As good a kind of exercise as any" the Titan said, cheerful.

"Hehe, right, sure" Den agreed, partly; it may not be as exciting as the Spirit World, but it was home. If anything though, he was glad both it and Cherit were here to stay, once they helped fix the former of course. Still, he looked at Cherit, who slowly noted his interest.

"You sure you wanna stay with us though, Cherit?" Den asked, remembering how happy he'd been when they entered his home dimension. "I mean, we'd all like you to stay, and want you to, but are _you_ sure?"

The flying Titan smiled, very warm. "Of course I do" Cherit answered, completely sincere. "There may be moments where I'll go with the research teams, even a lot of them, to be at home, but I'll mainly want to stay here. I like this team, and things are always interesting with it."

"Heh... you got me there" he admitted, rubbing his head. "Still, the research teams?"

"Yes, it's a fantastic chance to learn, as they will too" Cherit said earnestly.

"Is that really okay though?" Den asked. "I mean, us humans wandering around your world, now that we have the means to travel there?"

Flying around a bit (with effort), Cherit did a little thinking on the arm of the couch, complete with hum. "From the impressions I got, many of my brothers are okay with it, so long as we don't stir up trouble like The Professor did" he said. "And as long as no one makes any permanent expansions into our dimension. Outposts like the beachhead to mark where they enter through Nexual, a few research teams curious about our world, sure. But building a city, or any such big endeavors, oh no!"

"Well, I can understand that" Den said mildly, but nearly chuckling - soon he was just letting it all out though, unintentionally. "I mean, it's _their_ dimension. Plus, _who_ would decide building a city there would be a good idea?"

At that, Cherit just shrugged, but with a little playful expression.

/

 _Dante's old house_

 _A little while later_

"Zhalia?"

"Hmm?" she breathed, looking up; Den came up to her, Cherit hanging onto his shoulder, the two of them apparently having finished at Sophie's Townhouse.

"You gotta read this report" he said, expression a little grim, handing her a tablet.

"It's not good, not good at all" Cherit added, also looking worried.

Noting this, Zhalia began to read – her eyebrows furrowed as she did so. "Well... you're right; that's not good..." she said slowly, still slightly absorbed in the information, so she didn't watch what she said.

"Trouble in paradise?"

They all looked up – Dante came toward them, still visiting, but he would have to leave within the next few hours or so to get back.

"You could say that" Zhalia said, handing him the tablet, which he took.

Dante slowly sighed after a few moments, though still reading. "This only confirms some of the intel I've gotten from the other Council members" he said, a little serious. "At least, the hints of it anyway."

"How bad is it, Dante?" Den asked.

Dante glanced up. "I honestly don't know" he mentioned, before putting the tablet down on the table. "However, what we do know is that the Casterwill family has been stirred up, considerably at that."

"I should say so" Zhalia mentioned, arms folded. "First their leader goes off to Huntik; then an Elder – her own brother, for bonus points – advocates helping her against orders, and when they refuse, he goes off anyway along with his small team; a reported incident of younger generation Casterwills attempting to summon Quetzalcoatl, according to Lok, to force their family to help Sophie due to his Blue Star form... though that didn't exactly pan out. All those actions must go against everything the older generation believes in, and they've already been dissatisfied before. The arguments aren't showing signs of stopping anytime soon."

"I hope they're just arguments though" Cherit said, still worried even as he looked between them. "If it becomes worse, I don't think I could stand living through another civil war period."

"It won't come to that, Cherit, not if we can't help it" Den said intently.

"We'll all help of course, if this breaks out into worse, but before it gets _that_ bad" Dante added, nodding, his expression serious. "Still, whether it stays harmless or not, I think was this was long in coming."

"Why, Dante?"

"Well Den, for a long time, the entire Casterwill family has hidden itself, preferring to not interfere in any way" he continued. "Now recently however, a new Casterwill has come forth, and advocated the exact opposite of everything they know. The older generation resists, of course, but the younger generation must be slowly becoming discontent, now that they know other ways exist. And with such a role model as Sophie encouraging them, who's not only proven herself as leader of their family, but fought against The Betrayer himself in the Spirit World... well, you can see where this is going."

"If it does break out in hostilities, civil war level or otherwise" Zhalia noted, before making a sound, "-well, obviously lines are gonna be drawn. Eventually the younger generation won't stand for the older generation's cowardice... or timidness; whatever they want to call it" she added mildly.

"I'm sure they'll agree on something, if it came to such a hypothetical situation" Dante noted, before he picked up the report again. "Den, you've shown this to Sophie?"

Den glanced up, before shaking his head. "Ah, no, not yet" he admitted. "Zhalia was the first person I ran into, so she got it, after I got the report from Guggenheim."

"Then perhaps you and Cherit should deliver it" Dante answered.

"We're right on it!" the flying Titan answered, already picking up the tablet himself, and flying off with it. They were faintly surprised he'd recovered that quickly (enough to carry himself + a tablet anyway), but Den just chuckled slightly and ran after him... though not without a backward pause + smile at them.

Well, this was the price of being public about it; didn't make it any less initially embarrassing though.

"And finally, we're alone again" Dante added, very mild, looking back at her.

Zhalia slowly nodded, but glad her heart-rate wasn't going haywire again. "Yeah, here we are" she said softly.

He smiled, before tilting his head a little, arms crossed. "If I recall though, Zhalia" he said lightly, "we never got around to discussing a very important aspect in our relationship."

She didn't need to think about what he meant; he had a plane to catch in a few hours, back to Huntik HQ in New York, while she intended to stay with the team here in Venice. Her cheeks strangely didn't heat up at the implications though, for which she was glad.

"Well, the reason many long-distance relationships fail..." she started, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is usually the lack of physical affection. Other factors exist of course, but that's a big one."

Dante made a small hum, which might have been his answer, or his surprise that she said that without stuttering; hard to tell right now.

She managed a small smile, glancing away for a moment. "No matter whether small scale, or much more; people get frustrated because of that" Zhalia added, like her usual self. "I, however, am not accustomed to physical affection of _any_ kind... so, I have no real pressing need for it all the time."

Dante chuckled, but his smile was warm as he stepped closer. "But there will be moments where you will want it" he said gently. "Occasionally, I mean."

"Maybe" she slowly breathed; her heart was beating slightly faster, and making it harder to talk normally. "But until such moments, all I'll need is the mental aspects... though I wouldn't say no to occasional physical from you."

He leaned in even closer. "Sounds like a plan."

Zhalia slowly held him close, in all the simple ways – which included a few kisses, that lasted quite awhile.

When Dante pulled back though, very close, his breath was warm. "If you ever need a little affection in the next few months, no matter how small, just call me" he whispered.

"You'll- you'd really fly over?" she asked, heartbeat increasing fast. "Just for that?"

"I could, if you really wanted me to."

She had to try _hard_ not to let that make her melt.

Dante stepped back a bit, hands in his pockets now as he did so; giving her some space, physically and mentally.

"However, I'm curious" Dante said in a lighter tone, as if he didn't just say anything of the sort. "How long did it take you to realize I'd slipped Redcap into your pocket?"

Yeah, he was definitely making that a regular ritual for them...

It took her a breath, but Zhalia slowly scoffed as she remembered that incident. "An hour" she merely said, crossing her arms. "In retaliation for that though, I only used him once."

Dante faked a slightly-hurt expression. "Ouch" he answered, but mild.

She hummed slightly to herself... "I can make up for it though" she breathed, trying for soft; somehow she succeeded.

It wasn't long before Dante kissed her again, and he made sure not to let her go; she didn't really mind that much.

/

"What will you do now, Lucas?"

Her brother slowly breathed out, just leaning against the wall, crossing his arms... though both were slow + stiff in doing so; aftereffects of prolonged Shadowlock, and a few first-degree electrical burns, respectively. "Well, the Elders have kicked me from my position" he stated faintly, troubled. "I'm not banished, nor have I been taken off as leader of my team – but I'm sure my words no longer have as much meaning to them. I might try to retake my Elder position, but only if I feel I could succeed... perhaps I'll just lie low for awhile."

"Do you regret this happening?" Sophie asked, worried.

He raised an eyebrow at her, before he scoffed. "Hardly" Lucas breathed, looking upward for a moment. "Despite all of the older generation's ideals being a core of our identity, I'm realizing they're too rigid" he continued, a little disgruntled. "At least, _a little_. Whether they like it or not, things are not the same anymore."

Then he glanced at her, and his expression changed. "Because, for one thing, the younger generation have you as a role model now" he said, almost mild. "And you're even more stubborn then the Elders."

She made a sound, partly playful as she instinctively pushed her brother's shoulder (where he wasn't injured). "Don't exaggerate it out of proportion, Lucas" she said to him, hands on her hips.

"It will though, if not by my doing" Lucas noted. "The facts remain, Sophie; you've gone to the Spirit World, and helped pioneered that discovery for the Seeker world, Casterwills included. You fought the Betrayer, with all his powers possessing a younger, fitter body, nearly one-on-one... and not only did you survive, the two of you were evenly matched."

"'Nearly' one-on-one?" she said in complete disbelief. "Don't be absurd; I had my Titans with me, and later all of you helping! We still couldn't overpower him in direct combat!"

"I know that; I was there" he stated bluntly, but not mean. "But, as I'm sure you've noticed, once the Casterwills have something in their heads-"

"-nothing will change their minds" she said faintly, quite exasperated. "Unless of course it's proven otherwise, as per Casterwill law."

He nodded, then there was a little silence for awhile - for both of them, these last few hours had been heavy, discussing many things between them. Even despite the subject matters though, Sophie was glad for that, as this was the longest amount of time she's spent with him since they were children. On some level, she missed those times as well, as things could have turned out much differently if... mmph. Lucas could have been less obstinate with her around, or perhaps it would have gone the other way, with their roles reversed even.

Who knows?

"One other thing I'd like to know though" Lucas started faintly, looking straight at her.

Sophie slowly sighed; the report, it had to be. "You want to know what I plan to do regarding these Casterwill divisions?" she breathed.

He slowly nodded again, intent in her answer.

For a moment, she felt a little overwhelmed – being the leader of a people, and realizing the full implications of her actions being responsible for their long-term, were two different things. Being the leader, she had a responsibility to all Casterwills, not just the older or younger generations. Because of her actions, she was sure that she had displeased the older generation, and if she didn't try to convince them that her actions were for ultimately good reasons, she could lose their support. Nor could she just tell/promise the older generation everything they wanted to hear, because the younger generation looked up to her, and certainly had the spirit needed to fight for change.

She knew that was going to be a major problem she needed to tackle; how to talk to both generations and encourage change, without the divides threatening civil war (at worst). After all, The Betrayer, Shauna, and Wind were still out there – they'd purposefully left, for some reason she couldn't explain, but she knew they'd be back someday.

The Casterwills couldn't afford to be splintered when that day came.

That particular fact still clawed at her heart, trying to explain why they left, and everything else involved in such an internal debate.

"Well, first I intend to explain myself, why and how I choose those decisions" Sophie stated, equally intent. "They may accuse that I was 'merely' following orders from Lok, or the Huntik Foundation, but that is not the only reason behind them. Then I'll have to deal with the reactions as they come – I want the Casterwills to change policy if possible, no matter how slow it may be, but I can't let ourselves become divided in the process."

Lucas was silent for a moment, then hummed slightly. "You may require help with that, Sophie" he said. "I might not have much approval rating anymore, but provided it's reasonable, I could be inclined to do so."

She smiled a bit, even as she had a few doubts about what her brother constituted as 'reasonable' - but she'd take it. "Thank you, Lucas."

Then like that, Lucas leaned back to upright, slowly opening up for a hug – she returned it, a little faster than him, but being careful about his arms. This time though, she had full time to enjoy it, as he lingered for a little.

When they pulled apart, she dug into her pocket, showing him Templar's amulet-

-he glanced at it, but waved a hand. "Keep him" Lucas said, confident. "A minor glitch in summoning aside, he can protect you in my stead."

"How is not being summoned while in Huntik 'minor'?" she questioned, eyebrow raised, but still slightly warm from their hug.

To that, he just shrugged his shoulders.

…

Several hours after that, she waited beside her Townhouse, just standing around. She'd been up to the roof earlier, to access the damage... but the sight of sections still damaged, with debris all over, made her sad. Sophie then shook her head, refusing to let it get to her; she'd gotten over her fear of fire, and she would not allow herself to lose another home, or tremble in the face of such a possibility. She would just need to temporarily vacate the place while it was being repaired, that was all. Still, even with all the debris and sadness involved, she had taken some time to view the city of Venice. Certain sections were still damaged from the earlier battle, but the overall view was beautiful.

This had helped calm her down-

-then, very faint: "Sophie!"

She smirked a bit; he was almost exactly on time, for once.

Soon enough, Lok came up to her, panting; he looked quite winded, even if he hadn't been running anywhere near full speed.

"Lok, I told you not to overexert yourself" she chided, stepping closer and bumping his shoulder (he was sheepish). "I said _walk_ here, not run."

Lok just rubbed his head, with a little playful smile. "Well, I couldn't wait to be alone with you again" he said, still sheepish.

She relented slightly; a good answer, if not making him completely off-the-hook.

"Good enough, I suppose" Sophie answered mildly, before she draped his arm over her shoulder, his body against his. A moment of preparing herself... then: _"Hyperstride!"_

The wind rushed through their hair/clothes, then she landed upon the roof, making sure she took much of the impact. After all, Lok was gonna need weeks of bedrest and non-exertion before he returned to normal strength, but she was glad to take the slack for a bit. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek, which turned them pink, but she lead them over the tiles, their shoes making noises across the tiles. Soon they came upon the same spot, where they'd sat here before, and officially became a couple. She made sure Lok got down carefully, before sitting down on his right.

"Well, here we are again" he said gently.

"It feels like forever though" she noted, slowly scooting closer to him, just a little. In response, he put his arm around her shoulder, perfectly willing to lean against her this time – usually that was her thing, but he liked to do things differently now and then.

"It sure has" Lok agreed, sorta faint, his free hand taking her own. "When we were last up here, we still had no idea of the Spirit World... or the Nullifiers."

"Or each other" she teased, but otherwise she stroked his hand a little.

Lok chuckled. "That too" he admitted, slightly playful for that moment, "and now, talking about... well, our future together seems much less scary, when compared to what we've been through."

"You mean you felt scared?" she asked, still teasing.

He smirked a bit, but that was all.

Sophie relented a little, smiling back. "Well, the thought made me a little scared, possibly even subconsciously inspiring my 'incidents'; I think I realize that now" she admitted, a little slow. "It's such a big deal, and despite being far away, it suddenly seemed much closer when you brought it up."

"It still is far away" Lok breathed, adjusting a bit. "'Quite' a few years, as is the rough plan. Now though, it seems as if that same time will go by differently. A few years doing normal missions isn't the same as a few years exploring everything about the Spirit World."

She could only agree, squeezing his hand.

"Yet still" he continued, looking at her now. "I'm glad we got to go there; not only is it beautiful, an unrivaled scientific find, but it's because of that place that we found dad."

"I wish you well in Ireland, Lok" Sophie said gently, taking that opportunity to lean against him in return. "You, Cathy, and Sandra deserve some alone time with him, after so long. I can command the team for a few weeks or a month, don't worry."

"I'm not too worried, Sophie" Lok assured, squeezing their hands. "It's the Nullifier's that I _am_ worried about..."

She was too, her body flashing back to the sensations of the battle; their power level was immense, and that had been a single one. Sophie could only imagine the power and effort it had taken her ancestor to fight them all off, for 500 years at that.

"But it's not just that" he slowly continued. "The Betrayer said that the Spiral Mark was the key to summoning them; it's where they were sealed. But, if that was the case, why on earth did he ignore it this time around?"

Sophie slowly sighed. "I don't think that was entirely the case, Lok" she stated. "From what we've experienced recently, I think the Spiral Mark was more of a lock, rather than where they were physically sealed. It needed to be unlocked, but the seal itself couldn't be opened without further help... or so my recent theory goes; I don't know if it holds up yet."

"Why would he lie though?"

"A better question is: why wouldn't he?" she breathed, disgruntled. "He has apparently been planning things centuries in advance. Still, I feel much the same; the Betrayer certainly implied that by using the mark, and the Red Comet, he'd summon them to Earth... as if they came from another world, out there in space."

Lok slowly made a sound. "In a sense, it was another world" he admitted. "We just thought it was a world out in space, like you said, not a different dimensional one."

"Exactly."

After that, they didn't say anything for a minute.

Then Lok looked at her, a little sheepish: "I'm sorry for bringing up all that heavy stuff" he said, with a similar tone.

She smiled a little, shaking her head. "It's only been a few days, literally" Sophie reminded him. "It'd be odd if we _didn't_ talk about all this, while it's still fresh - and we have tons of stories/feelings to get off our chests."

He chuckled, holding her even closer, which made her blush slightly.

"Yeah, well I'm still proud of you, Sophie" he said softly.

"W-Why's that?"

"I have a girlfriend who Powerbonded with Phoenix, and two other Titans in the same battle – how is that not awesome?"

She made a sound, remembering that sense of pride. "Well, I was kinda getting ticked off" she said mildly, looking back. "And anyway, much as I hate to say it, you're still ahead of me, with two Powerbonded Legendary Titans now."

"Technically, but you were always the natural Seeker" Lok teased. "I'm just lucky."

"Hey-" she started hotly, about to tell him off from thinking that, despite the warmth that he was sincere about her being a natural.

Lok just started laughing, and only then did she realize he was playing her – it was a long moment before she decided she wasn't angry, or even annoyed, though for a moment it had seemed like it.

"Lok?"

"Hmm?"

Sophie kissed him-

-he was thoroughly surprised, and it took him several seconds to respond, but he managed.

"W-What was that for?" he asked, a little shy now.

She slowly smirked. "Isn't that how they all start?" she asked, rather coy.

First he was confused, but then he slowly realized she was playing him back, in her own way – then he just chuckled, smiling. "Well played, Sophie" he said softly, holding her even closer, so that she could feel his breath. "Well played."

She eagerly met him his lips again.

* * *

 _Around the same time_

Dante shouldered his pack, heading toward the plane, as well as the small gathering in front of it - at the moment, his own tablet remained in hand, regarding the final details of casualties, deaths, and possibly destroyed Amulets from the battle. He couldn't bring himself to look at the moment, but eventually he'd have to, for his report to the Huntik Council.

So he decided to leave it as the last piece of business; he had a long flight back, and the others would be understanding to let him rest after such a trip- so plenty of time.

Grier was present with the small gathering, still moving with care, but well enough to stand. Accompanying him were a few of his more healthy Suits (though paler than they should have been + slightly malnourished), and someone coming out of the plane-

"Metz" Dante greeted, surprised. "You didn't have to fly here personally."

His old friend smiled a bit, meeting him in a short handshake and hug. "After everything that's happened, I couldn't wait for you to get to HQ for the full details" he said, before his expression became more somber. "And also..."

Dante slowly nodded. "I understand" he said seriously, both of them looking at Grier.

"It's kind of you to give him a proper funeral, Grier" Metz breathed.

Grier nodded, hands behind his back, even as his Suits watched over the covered coffin nearby. "I don't think he deserves it personally, but I respect your previous friendship with him, Metz, as well as Eathon's" he said, with a gentler tone by the end. "You can rest assured that I'll do everything to honor that fact."

Metz nodded. "Thank you" he said, sincere, before he asked: "Has Eathon had a chance to-?".

"He's said his personal goodbyes" Dante answered, faint. "I saw it with my own eyes, Metz. Though, he also mentioned that at some point, after his flight, he'd contact you. Then you could make arrangements, talk about his memory, and whatever else you decide to do afterward."

His old friend was somber, but he nodded again.

"Do you want some time alone, Metz?" Grier asked after a moment, stepping closer. "A few last words?"

Without even answering, Metz slowly walked toward the coffin - at Grier's signal, the Suits moved a fair distance away. Metz slowly placed a hand upon the edge, closing his eyes for a time.

"Goodbye, old friend" Metz said, faint. "I wish things had turned out differently."

The entire time, they all remained respectful - two minutes later, Metz withdrew, coming back to them.

Then Metz patted his shoulder. "Come on, Dante" he said, understandably heavy + faint. "Let's go."

Dante nodded, but spared a glance or three back at Venice as Metz went up the stairs; he'd always be fond of this city. So many memories, the natural beauty of the place, and maybe future dates with Zhalia- if she'd even call them that hehehe. And what you know, the thoughts were lightening him up already- he turned away before he could get hooked. Looking at Grier, they shook hands.

"Keep yourself sharp, Dante" Grier said, smiling a bit. "I'm still one of your rivals."

Chuckling, Dante merely smirked a little. "Don't think I've forgotten" he said in his best tone, arms crossed. "I've still kept an eye on you."

For a moment, Grier looked interested. "Did you just pull a Zhalia act on me?" he asked, eyebrow raised, but almost teasing.

Keeping the smirk, Dante didn't answer as he walked up the steps.

...

On the plane itself, Dante opened up his Holotome, cuing up several files downloaded to it from Lok's Holotome.

 _"Pretty smart of the kid to record, especially in the middle of a big battle."_ he thought.

However, Lok hadn't just recorded files; there were a few audio additions as well, no doubt thoughts on important details from Lok, or the rest of the team. They may have been composed on the spot, either during their long walk back to the beachhead, during their recuperation at his old house, or other such moments in quick preparation for when he went back to New York. It was pretty thoughtful of them too, working together to make sure he got the best information straight from their best team, and without even having to think about it.

Dante briefly glanced up, finding Metz conversing with Eathon, while the plane was still turned off (they tended to take awhile) - Dante merely smiled, putting on his earbuds and connecting them, so those two would have some peace.

His Holotome hummed, before a live image came up; the Nullifier they'd fought against. Remembering the live version vividly, he looked over the analysis indicators as they popped up - usually they didn't stay for too long, and were 'replaced' randomly, but still:

 _Most likely composition: pure energy_

 _Dimension of residence: unknown. Insufficient data_

 _Likely ability for all of species: Regeneration_

That last one didn't surprise him one bit; those things may look like swirling storm clouds, but they took damage and kept repairing it at a steady rate, most likely from their own energy. And they had a huge pool of energy to draw upon, for defense and attack. Still, Dante looked through all the indicators, drawing what conclusions he could - however, most of the guesswork would come from the experts, he knew, but his opinions wouldn't go unconsidered.

 _"Playing audio file."_

Just then, the 'live' Nullifier was replaced by Sophie Casterwill's image, who looked a little self-conscious at first but got over it. The initial burst of sound seemed to be the tail end of encouragement from Lok, before it was buried under Sophie's 'hissing' rebuke that they were recording.

Dante just chuckled; they never changed either.

 _"*ahem* I'm Sophie Casterwill, recording this message to the Huntik Foundation, for unofficial notes on Nullifier entry"_ the holographic image said. _"Many of it's direct stats will be referenced by analysis, but I will share my thoughts on the matter. I've encountered this Nullifier, but I have also studied what I could of Void; the two are extremely different in every sense. I'm beginning to believe that this is the result of dimensional influence - the Nullifier we encountered recently stayed in it's dimension, one of potentially pure energy, while Void was found on Earth, a dimension of mostly solid matter. Perhaps Void was a normal scout, before he came to Earth and got stuck here; then he had to change just to survive here, even as an Amulet, in a manner similar to Cherit's unknown incident."_

Dante had his eyebrow raised for some time. "All very interesting theories, Sophie" he mused. "The Council's gonna have a field day with this stuff, especially after going through days and days of official information, confirmation, the works."

Sophie's image continued regardless, as was to be expected. _"Also, originally, Titans and Nullifiers both came from the Spirit World._ _Eventually, though this detail seems to have been lost in the telling, my ancestor, Lord Casterwill, banished them from Earth into this third dimension. This leads me to believe the Nullifier we encountered is not the only type of it's kind. Perhaps it is shaped like that, while the others take different forms - maybe it was even a larger elemental version of itself being projected, like Solar and Lunar. We can only speculate, but I believe the Nullifiers can be as diverse as the Titans are. Perhaps even-_

* * *

 _Huntik Prison_

As far as Murdock was concerned, being imprisoned itself was the worst punishment of all.

He was a hunter, first and foremost; not being able to go freely, looking/tracking for his prey (of any kind), just didn't sit right with him. And more than that, he couldn't get out any of the standard ways – the walls and bars were all Seeker proof, his Titans had been taken from him, and guards were stationed at multiple points. Not to mention, they used that damned Curselock spell to prevent his mark from activating in any way, plus all the marks on the other Silent Soldiers and Casterwill Hunters in this place. Now the others couldn't even listen in through him, to gain information about their enemy-

-Murdock grunted, hitting his head against the wall somewhat.

Like he knew where the others were; he'd seen Shauna and Wind vanish with his own eyes.

Wherever they were though, likely The Betrayer (in Kiel's body) was with them too. Still, at least they could...

He stopped; something didn't seem right, but he couldn't place the feeling.

Seconds passed, then he felt it again; a fleeting sense of dark energy. It was so faint that only his sharp senses picked it up, so he doubted any of the others felt this. Slowly, making sure no one could see what he was doing, he lifted his sleeve on his right arm – there, though currently Curselocked, was his own Blood Spiral mark. For a little while, nothing... then the mark itself flashed purple, the image appearing as if his mark had never been Curselocked. It passed as quickly as it appeared, leaving his arm as it had been, still Curselocked. However, in that second, Murdock got a strange sensation... not exactly a word, but close.

Infiltration.

Murdock waited, but the strange sensation did not return, so he slowly returned his sleeve to normal.

Curious though; whenever their marks would glow for some reason, it had always been red.

Why the sudden color change?

He smiled, if only for a moment – no doubt it meant the infiltration plans were already underway, to be served by their being here, as the (long) first step. Still unusual, he mused, because clearly it didn't mean the standard definition, ie infiltrate the Foundation's ranks (they were in prison after all, no doubt for years to come). With no increased murmurings from the other soldiers though, he guessed he was the only one who'd been given the hint, however they'd gotten it through Curselock. As a result, he didn't doubt the hint was ordering him to stay put for now, and when the time was right, he - and likely the other soldiers - would be given further 'instructions'.

 _"Well, whenever it is, here's hoping it doesn't take too long"_ he thought to himself, lightly scratching on the wall beside him. _"I can wait patiently, but better sooner than latter."_

...

 _Spirit World, Huntik_

The area where the battle had occurred had changed overnight, as things tended to in this dimension. Things were quiet, as thus far no Titans had returned, no doubt because they were still riled from the appearance of the Nullifier.

Just then, dimensional space rippled, right where the creature had broken through beforehand... nothing dramatic happened, but the ripple persisted for a few seconds, before it too vanished.

More attempts were made, but none succeeded.

…

 _Space_

 _Near Jupiter orbit_

A single red comet blazed through space – were it near other asteroids, it would have been considered large. However, it was utterly dwarfed by the gas giant in which it was traveling near. By all accounts, the comet would continue on it's journey, further into the system.

However, the comet itself was slowing, and it began to turn... eventually, it settled into orbit around the gas giant, constantly in front of the planet's own red spot, ironically enough.

There it remained.

…

 _Unknown Location_

Yes, this would do nicely – it would take time of course, but well within his expectations. The dimensional integrity would only degrade overtime, rather than heal... then they'd be ready; let the heroes enjoy their 'victory' over one Nullifier.

It would have been best if they had won the battle, but this is how things turned out, and so they had to work with it. Yet things were coming together: first he'd had them break the power of the Spiral Mark, which prevented their return. Even as he'd been defeated, even as he'd miscalculated the energy it would have taken to summon the Nullifiers from his dimension, he was reluctantly glad for the defeat; it allowed his body to stay alive, thus assuring that they could return one day. And now, he's gotten the heroes to start breaking down the dimensional barriers - in their rush of curiosity, the Huntik Foundation would keep returning + using their 'Nexual' spell, furthering the degradation.

They believed them defeated, that to summon the Nullifiers again was their goal... _a_ goal, that was, if not their true objective this time. The defeats themselves still stung, but he could live with it, for as long as necessary.

 _"In time"_ The Betrayer thought, satisfied, before pulling 'it' out from his host's uniform.

The Amulet of Will.

Useless to him now, as there had not been an opportunity to snatch Behemoth, Tao, and Araknos from under the heroes' noses after the defeat - but beneficial for future uses. Overlos could still only be summoned by the ritual involving those three, plus this amulet, and soon the Spirit World would be swarming with researchers, no doubt, even as the three Legendary Titans moved on. Any move himself + his Spirals might make would need to be shadow-like, even more than normal, with every move treated as detectable.

However, perhaps he would not need those three particular Legendary Titans for his needs.

 _"'Lord' Casterwill used this amulet to summon all Titans from Huntik, before he worked it to involve only those three Legendary Titans, to summon Overlos - perhaps it can be similarly refitted."_

Images came into his mind, of how it could work - but he would not abandon any variant of events; even the most unlikely could prove to be the one that would work in practice.

 _"In time"_ he thought again; it would take awhile, no matter what.

After that, he analyzed the dimension around them, having felt it's energy but never having the pleasure of visiting, until now. He was pleased to confirm it was pure energy, where matter could form but not stay fixed, at least in normal cases. However, their hosts had been 'kind' enough to prepare a platform for their arrival – well, kind was much too strong a word for their reaction. Their hosts still wished to tear them apart, just as they would anything other than their own kind. Only his energy, and what he outlined he would do for them, kept things in check. It would not hold for too long, but it would not need to; only as long as it took to find a new base on Earth.

But for now, it would do.

 _"Shauna"_ he spoke.

"Yes, Betrayer?"

 _"I suppose you and Wind are wondering where we are."_

Shauna did not answer that, but then, he turned around before she could: _"Then again, it is impossible to see anything in here, is it not?"_

"It is true; we cannot see anything" she spoke, her form and Wind's outlined by the flickering red flames. "If not for this, we could not see at all – this dimension has no light source, as I can yet tell. But I have a different question on my mind-"

 _"Why did I recall you so soon?"_

"Yes" Shauna spoke, with a slight hint of tension. "I had a lot of fight left in me."

 _"Unfortunately, I did not; Kiel's body was unprepared for the raw energy that flowed through him. I had to use much more energy than I anticipated, just to keep it from burning up. There was no other choice in the matter."_

To that, Shauna did not answer, but she appeared to accept his explanation - after all, adjustments to new things did require time; this was no different.

 _"But there is a silver lining"_ he spoke, smug. _"The Casterwill brat still couldn't hold out against me. She will believe I could have killed her, but didn't, thus making her feel she's not worthy. The wound to her pride will fester internally, and perhaps even consume her."_

Shauna had a savage little grin at that; an appropriate reaction.

Very close to her, Wind moved slightly.

 _"Yes, you are correct Wind"_ he answered, amused. _"You are being watched. The true reason for the lack of light is only to prevent us from seeing more than we can comprehend."_

Just like that, multiple small points of light began appearing, forming all over the surrounding darkness – then came the sounds; hissing, small screeches, a rushing sound like that of wind, as well as electrical discharges.

 _"Welcome, Shauna, Wind, to the dimension of the Nullifiers"_ he announced to his subjects.

* * *

 **Well, each season had some sort of cliffhanger – those ending bits were in the spirit of that.**

 **Also, with a little work, I've turned The Betrayer's plan into a playing-the-long-game type thing - considering how long he's been around, seemingly, it sounded like the sort of thing he'd do again after the initial defeat :) After all, they planed to beat them then and now with the Nullifier in Season 2, but with this story, also planned things in case they didn't (knowing heroes tend to win anyway, if not that they will 'always' win in the end). Not to mention, playing around with the usual tactics of the Spirals.**

 **Still, this was my Huntik Book - hoped you've all thoroughly enjoyed it, as I have XD I had great fun writing it, especially in the countless edits (the original writings were vastly different, in content and quality).**


End file.
